Sports
Flying Sikh: The Movie
NEWS REPORTS
Milkha Singh, one of India's greatest track athlete, has sold his life story to a film maker for a bargain price of one rupee (two cents) in the hope that the biopic might inspire the youth of his country to excel in the sport.
Known around the world as "The Flying Sikh" for the last half-a-century, Milkha Singh was twice Asian Games champion in the 400 metres, Commonwealth champion in 1958 and narrowly missed out on a medal at his second Olympics in Tokyo in 1960.
New Delhi hosts the Commonwealth Games in October this year but India have little hope of any titles on the track.
"This is the year of the Commonwealth Games," said the 74-year-old, whose son Jeev is a top international golfer,"I feel sad to say that 52 years after I won a gold in the Cardiff Games, India hasn't been able to win a gold in track events."
Milkha Singh was born in the part of Punjab now in Pakistan and was witness to the murder of his parents during the Partition of Punjab before making his escape to a newly carved India as a refugee in the chaotic population exchange that followed.
"I want Indian youth to understand what determination and purpose can achieve," film director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra told the paper.
"If a Milkha, who didn't have access to even basic necessities of life, can aim for the skies, why not others who've been provided the best of facilities?"
[Courtesy: Reuters]
March 21, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Irvinder Singh Babra (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), March 21, 2010, 10:11 AM.
I am sure that Rakesh Mehra will do an excellent film on the Olympian Milkha Singh, an iconic athlete. I remember clearly when I met him as a 10-year old and hugged him after his return from the Rome Olympics in 1960. I met him last during his visit to Toronto. His is a story of an inspired effort, teamwork and personality par excellence. His son Jeev is a sort of a Sikh Tiger Woods on the golf course; Jeev's mother is a fine sportswoman too. Milkha Singh, chardi kalaa! Jee-o hazaar saal ...!
2: Navraj Arora (London, United Kingdom), March 21, 2010, 11:41 AM.
This is great news that the life of a great Sikh athlete is going to be portrayed on the silver screen. All the Sikhs should feel proud of Milkha Singh and his achievements.
3: Harinder (Bangalore, India), March 21, 2010, 2:03 PM.
Pity that our icons are all oldies: 1) Fauja Singh - 99 years old; 2) Milkha Singh - 80 years; 3) Mammohan Singh - 78 years. We are a young religion on this planet and must have more of the like of Monty Singh Panesar, Anarkali Kaur, Waris Singh Ahluwalia, Sonny Singh Caberwal ...
4: Devinder Pal Singh (Delhi, India), March 25, 2010, 5:23 AM.
Milkha Singh is already a legend. However there were his contemporaries on the cinder track, I am sure they would have contributed to his performance competitively. I had witnessed quite close races at Delhi's then National Stadium. Of course, Milkha won these but close on his heels was a stalwart by the name of Makhan Singh. Little has emerged about this athlete; like many in Indian sports, he too has faded into oblivion. Who is to be blamed - apathy of the state, a non-committal, devil-may-care attitude of the sports bodies or, for that matter, the individual himself? Perhaps this film may bring some of these incidents out, albeit as side plots, to drive home solid points for sanity to prevail. No point in having ministers and politicians thronging for the media glare and influencing decisions, which are often damaging. On the other hand, sports-men's egos have also resulted in unfathomable damage to the promotion of sports in the country. Today, there is an abundance of sporting academies in the country, but without proper coaches and facilities and with the sole aim to sell dreams and make a very quick buck. One must not forget that the majority of the population finds the costs unaffordable. Perhaps this forthcoming film would lead to some correction in the entire system and prevalent thoughts. The country has attracted stalwarts like Ottzo Pelzer a German who dedicated time and money towards promoting athletics in India and in whose memory Delhi used to host Sunday Races; now perhaps all that has gone, thanks to those seeking glory of images in the media.
5: Taran (London, United Kingdom), March 25, 2010, 7:04 AM.
Milkha Singh truly is a man of substance. He's a great inspiration and I am sure with this movie we will get to know many more qualities of such a great person. But what is our Punjab govt. or so called Sikh bodies in Punjab and in the diaspora doing about creating more Milkha Singhs?
6: Rekha Shukla (San Francisco, California, U.S.A.), December 20, 2011, 1:10 PM.
I am proud of Milkha Singh. May God bless him with a long and healthy life.
7: Rajesh Bhosle (Pune, India ), July 09, 2013, 5:02 AM.
I have not seen or met Milkha Singh, but I have heard from my father about him as my father was also a services/ India gymnastics player during the same time in 1960. They used to stay in the same place in Pune ASPT. We lost the opportunity to meet him when I was posted at Chandigarh. It is good that due to this film heroes of old time are remembered.