‘I am excited to work with Vidya’

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With the successful run of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, based on the life of legendary athlete Milkha Singh, Bollywood’s latest fad seems to be drawing inspiration from sports and sporting icons. Be it athlete Milkha Singh or boxer Mary Kom, the film fraternity is increasingly exploring the life and times of sports stars. According to reports, Bollywood producer Ekta Kapoor is ready to present the story of former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin.
The audience response to such films is well appreciated by Farhan Akhtar, who is gathering accolades from all quarters. “Indian audience is gradually accepting the genre of sports films. More such Bollywood films should be made that represent the life stories of heroes who have brought glory to the nation. As far as biopics on sports stars are concerned, they are often inspiring tales that the audience finds very relatable and inspire youngsters to take up athletics more seriously,” said Farhan, who was in the capital to be a part of a Royal Enfield event.
Portryal of ‘the Flying Sikh’ in the recently released Bhaag Milkha Bhaag was full of challenges. “Playing the role of the legendary Milkha Singh was a challenging task. For the role, I had to step out of my comfort zone, because I have never played any such role before,” said the actor.
Farhan also went through vigorous physical training to play the athlete. “To look the role, I had to rigorously work on my body to achieve that athletic look, besides growing my hair and beard,” shared Farhan, who has now chopped off his long locks and was dressed casually in a T-shirt and beige trousers. However, he adds, “My daughter Akira loved to see me in my long hairdo and played with my locks. She is really missing them.”
On being quizzed about Maharashtra government’s recent move of granting tax exemption to Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Farhan said, “Tax exemption is a great move as it would bring down the ticket prices and make the film more accessible for the audience.”
Talking about his upcoming film Shaadi Ke Side Effects, Farhan put forth, “It is a sequel to the 2006 hit Pyaar Ke Side Effects and is directed by Saket Chowdhary, who also directed the original film. I am excited to be paired opposite Vidya Balan who is a versatile actress.”
After wrapping up this film, Farhan would be taking time off to read, hear and write fresh scripts.