Farhan Akhtar's 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' and other Bollywood films based on sprinters

The nationwide coronavirus lockdown has put a stop to many sporting events across the globe. It has bunkered people into their work-from-home routines and maintaining social distancing. With games off the menu, perhaps it’s an excellent opportunity to catch up on sports movies amid lockdown.

Such movies generally feature a fantastic script and some terrific performances. Take a look at a few Bollywood movies that were based on sprinters.

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Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is an inspiring story of India’s Flying Sikh, Milkha Singh. He was the one who came within a whisker of winning an Olympic medal. Farhan Akhtar did full justice to his character of Milkha Singh. The movie showed the early days during partition and charted Milkha’s upbringing and strife en route to becoming one of India’s most cherished athletes.

The movie was based on the book ‘The Race of My Life’ which was written by Milkha Singh and his daughter. Reportedly, while selling the film rights, Singh charged a mere rupee, on the condition that a share of the profits will go to the Milkha Singh Charitable Trust which will provide aid to aspiring sportsmen in dire need.

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Budhia Singh – Born to Run

Budhia Singh – Born to Run was a 2016 biographical sports film helmed by Soumendra Padhi. The movie was based on the life of Budhia Singh, who was the world’s youngest marathon runner. Reports say that he ran 48 marathons when he was only five years old.

The film featured Manoj Bajpayee as a coach and Mayur Patole in the titular role. The movie also won a National Award for best children’s film at the 63rd National Awards, 2016. For the unversed, Budhia Singh has also earned the title of being the world's youngest marathon runner.

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Paan Singh Tomar

Paan Singh Tomar was based on the life of an Indian soldier named Paan Singh Tomar. He was an athlete and won gold medals at the Indian National Games seven times. The film released in 2012 and was directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and produced by UTV Motion Pictures.

The film had late Irrfan Khan who played the title role, with Mahie Gill, Vipin Sharma and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the supporting cast. The film was reportedly made on a shoestring budget of ₹45 million (US$630,000). The film also premiered at the 2010 British Film Institute and London Film Festival. The film was critically acclaimed and emerged as a super hit at the box-office.

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