'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' exceeded our expectations: Mehra

Mumbai, July 21 (IANS) Olympian athlete Milkha Singh biopic didn't get an overwhelming review, but the "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" box office success has thrown the movie business into a tizzy and its director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra admits that collection has indeed surpassed their expectations.

While in the first week Milka Singh's bio-pic raked in approximately Rs.55 crore, in the second week it collected Rs.3.58 crore in Mumbai.

Said Mehra: "Our film's reach has exceeded all our expectations. We knew Milkhaji's story would have a resonant emotional impact. But we couldn't have guessed it would reach so far and wide."

The immediate impact of the ace runner's saga is a heightened interest in films related to sports and sportspersons.

Director Omang Kumar is shooting a bio-pic on boxing Olympic medallist Mary Kom with Priyanka Chopra in the lead role, while Ekta Kapoor has bought the movie rights of the life of cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin.

And a biopic on the life of legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand is in the pipeline.

Farhan Akhtar, who plays title role in "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", said: "I am just so happy. Acceptance and recognition of one's effort is such a wonderful feeling."

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Bhaag Milkha Bhaag