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Bhaag Milkha Bhaag's Pakistan release dilemma

21 Jun 2013

Whether it's because of an objectionable dialogue or some other content that had miffed lawmakers, Bollywood filmmakers have had a tough time releasing their films in Pakistan. Time and again, certain dialogues or scenes are highlighted out of context, and this eventually results in the film being banned there.

One look at the upcoming trailer of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (BMB) and it seems that the film might be treading on those lines. A sneak peek of the trailer reveals that Milkha Singh (played by Farhan Akhtar) refuses to go to the country as he lost many of his family members in the riots following the Partition of India in 1947. Apparently, even the name of the film is derived from the last words Milkha's father spoke to him (during the Partition).

In the scene, Farhan tells Dalip Tahil, who plays Jawaharlal Nehru, "Mujhse nahi hoga. Main Pakistan nahin jaaunga". The movie traces Singh's journey from a region that is in present-day Pakistan to India. He later represented India at international athletic meets.

As Singh's childhood in Pakistan is prominently shown in the film, such a dialogue in the trailer might impact the release of the film there. Ask the production company Viacom about this, and the spokesperson of the film says, " BMB is a biopic of a living legend. Some facts cannot be altered or changed. Milkha Singh had refused to go back to Pakistan. So, if it affects our release, we won't be able to do much."