Bhaag Milkha Bhaag exceeded our expectations says Mehra

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."