Farhan urges West Bengal to correct 'glaring error' in school book

Filmmaker, actor and singer Farhan Akhtar has drawn attention to a major error in a West Bengal school textbook, after the book reportedly used his photograph instead of that of legendary athlete Milkha Singh.

Farhan, who portrayed the celebrated Indian sprinter in the 2013 biographical film “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”, took to Twitter to flag the mistake and urged West Bengal School Education Minister Partha Chatterjee to have it corrected.

Addressing the minister, Farhan pointed out that the Bengali textbook carried his image while referring to Milkha Singh. He requested the authorities to ask the publisher to recall the affected copies and replace them with corrected editions.

The error attracted attention because Farhan’s association with Milkha Singh is primarily through his acclaimed portrayal of the athlete on screen. “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, chronicled Milkha Singh’s remarkable journey from a troubled childhood during Partition to becoming one of India’s most celebrated track and field athletes.

Milkha Singh, popularly known as the “Flying Sikh”, represented India at the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games and became an enduring symbol of Indian athletics. His achievements and inspiring life story have made him a prominent figure in the country’s sporting history.

Farhan’s portrayal of the athlete was widely recognised and helped bring Milkha Singh’s story to a younger generation, which may have contributed to the confusion in the textbook.

The incident also underlined the importance of fact-checking educational material, particularly when textbooks are used by schoolchildren as authoritative sources of information.

On the professional front, Farhan was set to appear in Shonali Bose’s “The Sky Is Pink”, alongside Priyanka Chopra and Zaira Wasim. The film marked an important project for Chopra as she returned to Bollywood after her international television and film work.