Heralded as the Flying Sikh, Milkha Singh is undoubtedly one of the best track and field sprinter India has ever produced. The life story, which has been narrated both via print and more recently on the big screen, revolves around an average boy who overcame all personal tragedies to become one of the finest athletes, who put India on the map of sports; that too, at a time when India was still trying to claim its stake as a new democracy right after independence. Sports was not as lucrative a profession as it is today, still our athletes gave it all for just the applause, appreciation and their country’s pride.
My recent conversation with Milkha Singh was brief, yet extremely insightful – one with stories that said a lot about his solemn resolve, grit, dedication and sacrifice. One which showcased how a successful athlete, who represented the nation in three Summer Olympics still leads a simple life devoid of ill will against those who were responsible for some of his hardships.
Q: After a successful career, a super hit movie on your life, how does it feel?
A: I feel great. I’ve been reborn, in fact, immortalized. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is praiseworthy, especially all the hard work that Farhan Akhtar put to look and act the part. It is commendable. Everyone who watched the film had the same feedback. It is difficult to distinguish between Farhan and me; he looks just like me in the movie. He has done a remarkable job. I really appreciate the entire team’s effort; they worked very hard and the final product reflects just that.
Q: So tell us how did Bhaag Milkha Bhaag happen?
A: Lots of people from my generation know about Milkha’s story. My peers and colleagues were there to see how hard Milkha worked to reach where he is today. However, it’s the younger generation that needs to know about the transformation of Milkha from a lost kid in the refugee camp to a world renowned athlete. They have no idea about the 1947 Indo-Pak partition: the brutal riots, the sacrifices that families were forced to make and the pain that they suffered in the refugee camps – loss of life, land and everything that they worked for.
Several people in the film industry too knew about my struggle, and they felt this will make a great feature film. Many directors had approached me, and offered huge amounts. Here, I would like to commend my son, Jeev Milkha Singh, who took a good decision and told me that Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is the director we want to create this movie with (Jeev was all praises about Rakeysh’s ‘Rang De Basanti’). I decided to give my story to Rakeysh for only 1 rupee (INR). But, I told him that I would like to see every scene of the film, a promise that he kept.
Q: So why only 1 rupee (INR)?
A: I don’t want money. I have a trust, ‘Milkha Singh Charitable Trust’ that is dedicated to helping society, like marrying off poor girls, providing life-saving treatment to the impoverished, helping families of sportspersons in whatever way possible. Many sportspeople are hospitalized, the trust provides them with funds. I wanted at least 10-15 per cent of the proceeds from the movie to go to that cause.
Q: What was your first reaction after watching the film?
A: I cried a lot. The scenes from the Partition brought tears to my eyes. Farhan was sitting right next to me, passing on his handkerchief, and laying his hands on my shoulders, he consoled, “No, Uncle ji. Please don’t.” It’s just impossible to forget the chain of events, especially the death of my parents in front of my eyes.
Q: If you were to direct the same movie, what would you do differently?
A: I don’t think I would have been able to do justice to it at all. Milkha Singh has gone through very difficult times. If I were to direct the movie, I would not have been able to narrate the story so beautifully on celluloid in three hours (the way Rakeysh did), it might have gone over 15-20 hours.
Q: Can you talk about the call you received from Carl Lewis (American track and field athlete)?
A: Carl Lewis telephoned me and told me that he saw the film with his friend, who was translating it for him and he was shocked to know that Milkha trained to run barefoot. He was astonished to see an athlete from a rural background, with absolutely no scientific training behind him break records, and went on to win so many races. He said, “I bow my head, Sir. This is unbelievable. In America, we train on scientific lines including weight training, repetition running, etcetera.” Every advanced sports nations teaches all this, but he was just amazed that I ran barefoot.
Q: What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A: I don’t remember. My childhood wasn’t an easy one after I lost my parents at an early age; just making two ends meet was good enough. I could have treaded any waters, but I am thankful to the Indian Army – they are the ones who created Milkha.
Q: What were your emotions when General Ayub Khan addressed you as the ‘Flying Sikh?’
A: I was elated. The credit goes to Pakistan, and I am thankful for it. Had I not agreed to participate in the Lahore track and field event in 1960, and defeated Abdul Khaliq, I wouldn’t have been conferred with the title. After I defeated Khaliq, General Ayub Khan whispered in my ears, “You did not run today. You flew!”
Q: Talking about your career as an athlete, after losing the 400m final at Rome, did you feel you should have run the 200m?
A: I won 77 races out of 80, that itself is an achievement. No athlete can run so many races in his/her sporting career. I participated in 80 and won most of them. During Rome Olympics, I was the favourite to win the 400m race. It was just my bad luck and India’s bad day that I lost that race. I will not forget this defeat until my dying day.
Q: If you could change one thing about your life, what would that be?
A: I want India to win an Olympic medal in athletics. So far, a handful of Indians have reached the finals (GS Randhawa, Ram Singh, PT Usha, Anju George, and myself), but we have not won a medal yet. So it is my last wish to see an Indian win an Olympic medal in athletics.
Q: Who is your favourite Indian sportsperson?
A: Just recently, I watched Saina Nehwal in action. The girl plays exceptionally well, and she works very hard. Her coach [Pullela] Gopichand is hardworking too and does a great job with her training. Saina has a promising career ahead of her.
