Bhaag Milkha Bhaag!!!!!

Finally, I went to watch movie “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” and I was speechless. Bollywood has surely grown over the years and the improvement in creativity is just phenomenal. I am very impressed with the way the director has used simple ingredients like color, water, nature and people to make his story impactful. The art of revealing the critical details of the story only when it is needed and when it is just right, is just marvelous. The monochromatic effect to portray the past, a past that has not buried itself peacefully but is still with him and those memories still haunt him….....

How can anyone use a simple ingredient like water and use it to show all the emotions of your life? That swaying water in a bucket representing freedom, innocence and curiosity as we are growing up, droplets of water bringing sweet memories of your first love, a bucket of sweat that reminds you of your hard work and success, that smell of wet soil that brings in all your best of memories....... But at the same time, the same water can be a disaster. It can also remind you of your pain, suffering, fear, agony and loss. How well has it been used? It is just commendable, and I have no words to describe it. All I have is applause and respect for the magician who could mesmerize me and left me craving for more.

I love the way Milkha Singh goes back and forth in his past. His anger and anguish taking him to achieve whatever he wanted, just to prove to himself, his father, his lady love and his beloved sister. Every relationship in the movie seems so real, whether it’s his relationship with his father, mother, sister, friend or his lady love.

A beautiful relationship between a brother and a sister, I being a sister know how it feels to have a younger brother. How you want to love him, pamper him, scold him but never find enough words to express your love. How you want him to do well in life, and do everything possible to help him when he is in trouble..... Because whenever he is in trouble, he looks up to you with that innocent smile and those eyes saying “please help, I think I'm in trouble.” The way a sister always knows what is his brother up to, and when caught red-handed he would shy and smile. The way your brother cannot see you cry, he will do anything to make you smile. He will be your clown, your friend and your mentor…..

The plight of his sister who is torn between the responsibility of being a wife and a sister is so well directed. She is just a wife for her husband but everything for her dear brother. Sadly, it’s the plight of almost every woman in our society except few lucky ones.

The pain of partition is so well captured, people being slaughtered and their hopeless eyes wandering for a loaf of bread. Milkha being unfortunate enough to witness his parent’s man slaughter, the turmoil within about what is right or wrong and betrayal from his own people, lying in a pool of blood of his family and holding on to their dead bodies......... as if they will wake up…… What a wonderful portrayal! Same effect as if you are watching the movie “300”. Those blood stained knifes somehow look less gross but are powerfully impactful.

His journey to fame, his glorious years and he becoming “the flying sikh” was just splendid. I was awed that they could pull out all those old footages for most of the events that Milkha had succeeded. Even his fling with the Australian girl is beautifully shot and nowhere does it look cheap. The intimacy is dignified, an attraction we would have felt sometime in our lives.

His facing his demons was just awesome, because no matter how much we try and bury our past...... It doesn't leave us... It haunts us till we decide to face it head on and fear no more. Once you look straight into the eyes of your fear, somehow it disappears.

I was just speechless when we came out of the movie, just didn't know what to say. All we came out was what a movie and more and more respect for Farhan Akthar. For not even once I felt he wasn't a sardar or he wasn't Milkha Singh. That dimpled smile, humility, and that sportsmanship is just beyond words to describe.

All I have is respect and more respect for Farhan and Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra, they understand the impact of media and they know how well to use it for waking up today's youth. Rang de bansanti was a phenomenal movie...... everything in that movie was awesome. The characters, the dialogues, the portrayal, and direction everything was perfect. The parallel stories of freedom struggle on one hand and struggle for justice on the other hand. The stories you wouldn’t imagine to have any interaction but both the stories share the same sentiment.

Such people have definitely taken Indian cinema to the next level, and forced people like me to appreciate the talent we have here and that Bollywood is not only about stupid movies and item numbers. I am hardcore Hollywood fan, because I watch a movie for everything, story, characters, background scores, and direction. A movie that stays with me, and I can just close my eyes and play it in my head any number of times. Such movies inspire and amaze me at the same time. It amazes me as to what a human brain can do? How can it baffle you? How it teases you? I love movies that give me a food for thought, something that makes me think why so? Whether its people, society, cultures, religion, politics, and I try and look for answers. Obviously, such over analysis leaves me sometimes with some negative thoughts, some upsetting moments and I have troubled Vivek enough number of times with this. 

Anyways, I wish good luck to this new generation of movie-makers, who have beautifully excelled in the art of storytelling. I am sure they will take Indian cinema to new heights. And people like me (Hollywood fans) will have no choice but to applaud and say “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”…….

Go Bollywood…... Hat’s off to this one.