'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' inpiring for youngsters: Waheeda Rehman

Timeless actress Waheeda Rehman, who will be seen in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's next movie "Mirza Sahibaan", says she loved watching the filmmaker's latest release "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag".

The 77-year-old was out of the country on a Scandinavian cruise with her friends Asha Parekh and Helen when the film was screened for industry members prior to its July 12 release.

But when she landed in Mumbai, she expressed a desire for a screening. Though Mehra was out of town, he made all the arrangements for his most important guest to watch his film.

She loved "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", a biopic on former athlete Milkha Singh.

"Rakeysh has brought alive all the details from Milkhs Singhji's life. More than anything else, it is very inspiring for the young people in this country. The film should be made available to every youngster in the country," said Waheeda.

"I haven't been able to tell Rakeysh how much I liked the film because he wasn't there during the screening," she added.

Waheeda, who has worked with Mehra in films like "Rang De Basanti" and "Delhi-6", will essay the role of Sonam Kapoor's grandmother in Mehra's "Mirza Sahibaan". The filmmaker is a diehard fan of the veteran talent since his younger days.

Interestingly, Mehra feels there is an element of Waheeda in Sonam's personality, and she has also been extremely fond of the younger actress ever since they worked together in Mehra's "Delhi-6".

Mehra says he always wanted to work with Waheeda in all his films.

"I first worked with her in 'Rang De Basanti'. When I planned 'Delhi-6', Waheedaji had decided to take it easy as an actress. But I was adamant. I told her I'd erect the set in front of her house and shoot if she didn't want to travel to location.

"To my good fortune, she finally agreed to do 'Delhi 6'. It was the happiest day of my life. Unfortunately, there was no role for her in 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'," he said.