Farhan refuses to wear fake turban for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Preparing for role as Flying Sikh Milkha Singh, filmmaker-actor prepares to grow out beard and mane.

Filmmaker-actor Farhan Akhtar is leaving no stone unturned to get into the character of legendary athlete Milkha Singh for his next acting project, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

So from January onwards, Farhan will start growing out his beard and mane to perfect Milkha’s look, and will also don a turban. In fact, the Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD) actor has refused to resort to an artificial beard and turban, as he wants his look to be as real as possible.

“Farhan is extremely excited to work on this project and wants his character to look completely ‘real.’ That’s why he is also going through intense training to get an athlete’s body. After Don 2 releases, he will throw himself into the project completely,” says a unit member.

When contacted, director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra confirms, saying, “We will start shooting the film in mid-2012. So, for the next few months, Farhan will be working towards achieving his look in the movie. Both Farhan and I want his character to look as close to Milkha as possible.”

Reports have already emerged of how Farhan recently met Milkha in Delhi to get some tips for his performance, a rendezvous for which the former sprinter especially travelled from Chandigarh. He spent a few days there, imbibing stories from the athlete, who was famously known as the Flying Sikh. Interestingly, it’s the first time that Farhan will be working outside his production banner, Excel Entertainment.

“After the success of ZNMD, Farhan has been flooded with plenty of offers, but he is currently taking one thing at a time,” says a team member of Farhan’s entourage. At the moment, the actor-director is busy with the release of his upcoming venture, Don 2,
starring Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta among others.

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