When I learned back in winter, remarkably via the impenetrable wall formed by his agent’s office, that Art Malik was to play Milkha Singh’s father in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, I thought it was indeed an interesting choice.

Milkha Singh was born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, just some 300 kilometers from where Malik himself was born (Bahawalpur).  And I couldn’t help but recall Mr. Malik discussing why he had never entered the Hindi film industry when he was a guest on Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Sayal’s Kumars at No. 42 (min 4:07).

So, next Friday we’ll get to witness, at age 60, Art Malik’s rather tardy, but nonetheless welcome, arrival to the Hindi film industry.  Let’s hope it’s not a one-off, and let’s hope he goes on to bigger and bigger roles.  Having one’s launch in a film by the man who directed Rang De Basanti is an excellent start, but I doubt Mr. Malik will be devouring yards and yards of film playing the father of the hero, as – if you know the biography of Milkha Singh – I fear our glimpses of the paterfamilia will be brief.

Meanwhile, here’s the very energizing song Zinda from the film: