Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar who played the role of legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh in the 2013 blockbuster film ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ has become the center of a gaffe, after it was discovered that a school textbook in West Bengal state, had mistakenly carried his picture instead of the Olympian’s.
The “glaring mistake” was brought to the attention of the state’s Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and MP Derek O' Brien by the actor himself who took to Twitter to point out that a still from the film had been published in the book instead of the legendary sprinter’s photo.
Farhan Akhtar's picture incorrectly published in place of Indian athlete Milkha Singh in a school textbook Source: twitter/@Lyfeghosh
The 44-year-old actor urged the state legislators to ensure the book is recalled so the picture could be replaced.
Milkha Singh, better known as the ‘Flying Sikh’, is arguably the most famous athlete in India after becoming the first in the country to win an individual athletics gold medal at the 1958 Commonwealth games in Cardiff.
Not wasting any time, Mr Brien, who was a famed quiz master and a regular face on Indian television before entering politics, assured the versatile actor that authorities were trying to track the publishing company responsible for the mistake.
Legendary athlete Milkha Singh unveils his wax statue for Madame Tussauds Museum on September 26, 2017 in Chandigarh, India. Source: Keshav Singh/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
He also clarified that the textbook in question is a private publication and is not a part of the curriculum in state-run schools.
Whilst it’s a given that the lawmaker didn’t waste much time to probe the matter, the blunder had already gone viral on social media, fetching varied reactions from netizens, who were both amused and enraged by the mix-up.
May Be Next Time On Textbook Picture Alauddin Khalji As "Ranveer Singh" And Akbar As "Hrithik Roshan" . #MilkhaSingh pic.twitter.com/GloQk6Aehv
— Kangkan Sarma (@imKangkanSarma) August 19, 2018
