This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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I personally think success cannot be defined. But in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag's case, the box office figures say it all. It's sprinting away to the Rs. 50 crore mark soon. But I still feel the team of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag haven't made a great film. Rather, they've made a small film in a great way. That's how I look at it, and it is that very intention and inspiration that got them the accolade they so well deserved. On a rare breezy sunny afternoon, I sit with Farhan Akhtar over a cup of black coffee to talk about success, how it has changed him and how really it's going to change the way films are made in India. The track is set, the whistle is blown and Farhan's still running successfully. Bravo!
There comes a point in every actor's life that changes the way he thinks about movies. Has Bhaag Milkha Bhaag done the same for you?
The undeniable fact of life is that every movie changes me as an actor. But the most important thing that Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has done is – it has given me more confidence to say 'yes', as and when such offers do come by, that may seem very much out of my comfort zone. The confidence has got a nice boost. The film was challenging. Of course, with a lot of support from the cast and crew and more importantly Milkhaji and his family, this has been a journey worth it.
Post the success; you really won't be a changed man, will you?
It starts to get a bit problematic when you start thinking that you are the cat's whisker. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has been an amazing experience and it's very rare that you get opportunities like these. But that's where my character ends. I have moved on to Shaadi Ke Side Effects. It's like moving from the North Pole to the South Pole. But yes, I had heard the script and I thought it was a fun, tender and a sensitive script and getting out of my character was quite a natural move after we finished the shoot.
Biopics are made once in a blue moon in our country. Aren't we inspired by anyone?
Making Biopics is a very cultural thing. If you just notice, apart from certain sections of the society, if you speak to somebody, they are so shy to talk about their life. For the person who has agreed (if he's still alive), especially in this case, it must be such a cathartic experience to open up about your life and then to portray it to the world by means of movies. When you ask people, a lot of people in this country will not tell you if they go to a shrink because they consider it a 'dimaagi haalat theek nahi hai' situation. In many parts of the world where biopics are freely made, going on a weekly basis to a shrink is just a part of the process, to talk about your life and go on a reality TV or talk to Seinfeld or Oprah. We do like to make biopics but the person has to be in an agreement to share it. I hope the cultural divide minimalizes.
You reinvented 'coming of age' in the form of Dil Chahta Hai. How do you define the term now?
'Coming of Age' is that you are seeing a shift, slowly but surely. There will always be exceptions. It's like wanting to entertain but keeping it real. There is a certain audience who like entertainment and we make movies for them in the first place. At times when a film was made, audience started saying – 'It's an art film'. But now no one says that because the mix is good. Now that world has only stopped… now you either like it or hate it.
You are a great dialogue writer yourself. With the power of the spoken word, how well do you see the change in dialogue writing?
We still have films that have a very self conscious dialogue writing. There are the 'seeti' lines and lines that you don't normally speak. Everything seemed scripted. Now people don't speak in that manner. But there are some movies that demand those kind of lines. But the spoken language in movies is now becoming the norm as it mirrors how people are in real life. That's a nice change happening in movies because we don't have to separate the real world from the theatrical world.
Whose number has a busy tone? Milkha Singh's or yours? What's his take on the critical and monetary success the movie is garnering?
Both of us! I just spoke to him this morning. Personally, I'm sure he doesn't care what's happening monetarily with the film. If he did, he would've charged us a bomb for the rights to make a movie on his life and career. Milkhaji wanted to inspire sportsmen and athletes and he got that out of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. He has a dream that India wins a Gold Medal in track at the Olympics. There has been some kind of ripple effect with the film. I spoke to him this morning and he was so happy. His legacy has moved on to so many more generations to come. How often does that happen?
We clearly are also not making an attempt to adapt a good book too. Today, all books have the headline ' best sellers'.
Most of the studios have a system set up for this. They pick up the 'Best Sellers' and try and find out sometimes a good read or an interesting read. That's how movies are made. With Prasoon Joshi in this film, we are inspired by this person Milkha Singh, because his spirit is what motivated Rakeysh when he was a sports person. He wanted to share that with the world. For Prasoon, it must've been such a challenge and a daunting task, given that there is no actual starting point. I mean, how do you create a structure when you are putting it down on paper to support this vision.
When do we see you sitting on the director's seat again?
Unless I am not gung-ho and inspired by something, I don't want to direct my next movie. I have been acting since a couple of years. Ritesh Sidhwani handles most of the production decisions. In terms of the making of the film, my involvement is only creatively. The entire production is handled by Ritesh and it's a damn serious task. I bless Sidhwani for how he does it. There is a very strong part of me that wants to write now. So I am going to dedicate the next three months on just writing my next movie and take it from there.
Our future in Hindi cinema is?
Our future in Hindi cinema is unpredictably good and with the whole digital revolution, it's become more accessible with ideas to go out and shoot a film. Also, we have become more accessible on a world platform where people don't want to see pristine perfectly shot films. There is a growing curiosity and that comes out of us having a very strong independent market. And then we have a one odd film that excite people globally but I think the success in film making is individual as to what he or she wants to achieve out of it.
Article written by staff at Bollywood Hungama. Read more
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