Farhan Akhtar to direct only after Bhaag...

Director-producer-singer-scriptwriter and actor Farhan Akhtar, readying to emulate The Flying Sikh, Milkha Singh, met him once again this week in Chandigarh. Before this, the two have had only one official meeting in the Capital, where they discussed the movie.

Director-producer-singer-scriptwriter and actor Farhan Akhtar, readying to emulate The Flying Sikh, Milkha Singh, met him once again this week in Chandigarh. Before this, the two have had only one official meeting in the Capital, where they discussed the movie.

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The father of two, who will start filming Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s version of the sprinter’s life story early next month, admits he found him extremely inspiring. “Meeting Milkha Singh any number of times is insufficient for a sport lover. Of course, as part of my preparation for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, I’ve met him once after the film was announced and I came on board to emulate him. And then, we’ve met this week when he passed on his iconic pair of shoes to me,” says Farhan, adding, “He’s an inspiration from head to toe. He proves that an athlete never loses that fighting spirit.”

Is there a piece of advice the real Milkha has passed on to his reel version? Farhan says there’s more than one. “When he takes you through his struggles, you’re sure to get goose bumps. For me and a lot of others, he’s independent India’s first hero outside the political and social circles,” he beams.

When the 38-year-old multi-tasker accepted an acting assignment outside his own banner, it was rumoured that he was planning to move on. Bring this up and Farhan says, “Interestingly, in over a decade of establishing my company, I’ve directed very few films, and at extremely long intervals. I’m doing one thing at a time. After I finish this film, I hope to get back to direction towards the end of next year. In the meantime, I’ll think about subjects and maybe even freeze one!”