Farhan Akhtar can’t help but reiterate that ‘Rock On’ gave him that much-needed push and also a valid reason to pursue creative endeavours in cinema. He admits, without batting an eyelid, that he owes a large part of his success to his father –– Javed Akhtar. “My father let us do our own thing without being too overbearing and that in itself gave us an impetus to work hard and chase our dream,” Farhan tells Metrolife.
As a director, actor, writer, musician — all wrapped in one, Farhan says that his tasks are not challenging enough and he yearns to do something quite different and dramatic. He quickly adds that he has found one such challenge in his latest project Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (BMB) where he has worked hard to get a chiseled body.
Farhan plays the role of legendary Olympian Milkha Singh and dubs his character as “intense”. Farhan feels, “The character expected me to slip into the lifestyle and exercise regime of an athlete and it required a lot of preparation. It is extremely satisfying to play such a role.”
Farhan had to spend a good amount of time with Milkha to understand the person that he is and he was thrilled when Milkha gifted him the shoes which he used during the 1960 Olympics in Rome. “It’s a priced possession and speaks volumes about the person. The shoes have been worked on a little, to restore it to a good shape. He gave it to me as a good luck token,” he shares.
Farhan confesses that many projects keep him on his toes and he really has no time to dwell on the past. His own life has been quite adventurous, he feels. Farhan dropped out of school and he never went to college either. “I miss going to college and all the fun that comes with it. I envy all the young people who go to college. That’s undoubtedly the best phase,” he says.
Farhan literally idol worships Hollywood biggie Robert De Niro. “I idolise him and meeting him in person, long time ago, was a dream come true for me. There are people who adore him but with me it’s a little more,” he concludes.