Farhan Akhtar, whose latest release, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (BMB), has people raving about his acting prowess, says that it was legendary sprinter Milkha Singh’s reaction that will stay with him forever. 'He (Milkha Singh) hugged me when the film ended and said, ‘Bilkul typical Milkha lag rahe ho,’' says Farhan. Milkha was reportedly teary-eyed and that was when Farhan felt that all his hard work had paid off.

Though BMB made it to the Rs. 100 crore club last week, Farhan feels its success cannot be measured in numbers. 'Rs 100 crore might be the yardstick to measure the box office success but it is the film’s impact on people, the appreciation and compliments that cannot be measured.'

The 39-year-old, who was the second choice for Milkha’s role, as actors Akshay Kumar and Abhishek Bachchan were also reported to be in the running, says, 'I know that Akshay was approached as it was written about in the press but had no idea about Abhishek. All I know is that I gave it my best and now it’s resonating well with the audience.'

To prepare for the role, Farhan worked out six hours a day for 13 months. 'I did not have any hassles about working hard or learning Punjabi for the role as I was convinced that the part deserved every bit of it,' Farhan says.

And, while other actors love to flaunt their perfectly chiselled bodies, Farhan is already on his way to losing the six packs he built for BMB. 'I take fitness very seriously but don’t feel the need to be in this beefy state forever. I don’t think that is important,' he says. The actor will be next seen alongside Vidya Balan in the sequel of Shaadi Ke Side Effects.