MUMBAI: Farhan Akhtar is a multifaceted talent who has always created wonders on the screen. While he has delivered many superhit films as an actor, his portrayal of Milkha Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag remains unprecedentedly special, which is clearly visible in the film. Although every actor goes through a certain process to achieve and understand the psychology of their characters, a tune by Trevor Jones helped Farhan get into the character of Milkha Singh.
Farhan recently took to his social media to share one of the final racing scenes from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, on which he made a special edit using a tune by Trevor Jones that he constantly listened to as part of his process for embodying Milkha Singh. While explaining this, he penned down a heartfelt caption:
“What happened here blew my mind, and I had to share it with you. Part of my process (with certain characters) is to create a playlist of music that helps me identify with the underlying theme of the film and the psychology of the person I’m portraying. Through the making of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, this theme by Trevor Jones emerged as the one that got me there. It starts dramatically with seemingly ominous tones, followed by a folksy fiddle motif that repeats and repeats, to the point where you wonder, ‘Is this going anywhere?’ But if you listen close enough, there’s something subtly building underneath that finally leads to the release of all that pressure and expectation – the victory theme. This, to me, represented Milkha ji’s life in one piece of music. It played constantly on my headphones throughout the making of the film. The editor didn’t know. The background score composers didn’t know. It was a secret only Rakeysh knew. Yesterday on set in Ladakh, I happened to hear the theme while waiting for the crew to get a shot ready and wondered what it would be like if this theme was dropped in on the final race. Tried it out on a whim, and what happened was pure 540 magic. The edit is untouched. Enjoy.”
The theme is ‘Promentory’ from The Last of the Mohicans by composer Trevor Jones.
This glimpse into Farhan’s process offers a fascinating insight for his fans. While his dedication to portraying Milkha Singh was evident in his performance, this story further highlights his extraordinary approach to connecting with his character.
Moreover, Farhan is gearing up for his next big project, 120 Bahadur. The film, based on the Battle of Rezang La, will see him portray Maj Shaitan Singh PVC. With his talent for diving deep into the psychology of his roles, 120 Bahadur is poised to be another film that showcases Farhan’s dedication to character-driven storytelling.
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