10th Anniversary of “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”: Examining Farhaan Akhtar’s Strict Transformation to Play Milkha Singh
Farhan Akhtar is one of the most talented performers in the business and is renowned for his varied skills. He is a writer, composer, singer, and director in addition to being an actor.
Farhan Akhtar’s portrayal of Milkha Singh in the biopic “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,” which was directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, is perhaps one of his most enduring performances. Here is a look back at Farhan Akhtar’s perfect makeover in honor of this film’s ten-year anniversary.
Farhan Akhtar put it his utmost to depict the Olympian runner in order to guarantee that the biography is flawlessly produced. Akhtar’s amazing physical appearance and change further enhanced his unrivaled performance.
Milkha Singh’s whole life is shown in the movie. As a result, Farhan Akhtar had to portray Milkha Singh in the height of his athletic career as well as an army cadet. The physical demands of the two positions were quite different from one another. He had to gain 8–10 kg for his metamorphosis while acting the part of an army cadet, then lose those 10 kg to play the part of a sprinter. He had to develop greater discipline, which required him to go to bed at 10 pm and rise up at 5:30 am to practice. He also had to modify the way he looked.
Farhan Akhtar adhered to a rigid food regimen. He stopped eating rice, bread, and the mainstay of India, chapati. He obtained his carbohydrates from fruits and veggies instead.
He used to consume 3,500 calories daily together with 5 liters of water in order to gain weight before his first appearance as a soldier. Although his diet remained the same during his second audition as an Olympian runner, the quantities were smaller and he reduced his calorie intake to 1800. He would eat an omelette for breakfast with six egg whites, mushrooms, and orange juice for protein. In order to avoid puffing up two hours later due to water retention, salt intake was also limited. He next ate a bowl of oats with a half-glass of skim milk. He would drink some coconut water 30 minutes later. Lunch would consist of grilled chicken, pak choy, baby cabbage, beans, broccoli, asparagus, and other vegetables sautéed in olive oil. After two hours, a protein shake will be served. The only fruits he could consume were berries since they have a low glycaemic index and provide the proper antioxidants. Boiled chana or moong salad with cucumber, tomatoes, and a low-calorie vinaigrette every night. The only difference between lunch and dinner was that the chicken was frequently replaced with salmon or basa. He would once again drink a protein smoothie before retiring to bed. Farhan Akhtar naturally yearned for ice cream and gulab jamun while adhering to this incredibly rigorous diet since they are his favorites, but every 15 days he allowed himself a cheat day and had a glass of Dilli Lassi.
Melwyn Crasto and Farhan Akhtar used to meet in Priyadarshani Park around 6:30 am for Farhan Akhtar’s exercise. The main goal of this training was to impart knowledge on the field to Farhan Akhtar so that he could portray the running scenes in the film realistically. Farhan Akhtar would sprint for 1200 meters throughout each session. During his second exercise, he engaged in functional training. This concentrated on developing the core’s strength and flexibility, both of which are crucial for sprinters. At 6 o’clock in the evening, the third workout of the day—weight training—started. Tabata and Hypertrophy Strength Training (HST) would be the main components of the workout. The HST made it easier to grow muscle by exposing the body to heavier weights.
A excellent example of commitment and tenacity is Farhan Akhtar. Farhan Akhtar gave up his affluent diet, drinking habits, and way of life for more than a year. He gave it all he had to play the part faithfully, and it paid off handsomely as the movie continues to get praise and became one of the largest box office successes.
