West Bengal textbook identifies Farhan Akhtar as Milkha Singh

CHANDIGARH: A glaring error in a West Bengal textbook in depiction of athlete Milkha Singh was highlighted by a user on Twitter. Instead of Milkha Singh’s photo, the publisher has used Farhan’s picture, who played the reel Milkha Singh in the 2013 biographical film ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’.

Milkha Singh. File photo

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, August 19

A glaring error in a West Bengal textbook in depiction of athlete Milkha Singh was highlighted by a user on Twitter.

Instead of Milkha Singh’s photo, the publisher has used Farhan’s picture, who played the reel Milkha Singh in the 2013 biographical film ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’.

Actor Farhan Akhtar has also urged West Bengal’s minister of school education to replace the textbook.

To the Minister of School Education, West Bengal.
There is a glaring error with the image used in one of the school text books to depict Milkha Singh-ji. Could you please request the publisher to recall and replace this book?
Sincerely. @derekobrienmp https://t.co/RV2D3gV5bd
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) August 19, 2018

“To the Minister of School Education, West Bengal. There is a glaring error with the image used in one of the school text books to depict Milkha Singh-ji. Could you please request the publisher to recall and replace this book? Sincerely, (sic)” he tweeted.

The actor portrayed the legendary athlete in the 2013 film based on his life.

Farhan also tagged Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien in the tweet who responded saying that he was "on it".

Meanwhile, twitterati are not amused by this glaring error and slammed the textbook.

Take a look at some of the reactions:

West Bengal using the Image of Farhan Akhtar to teach students about Milkha Singh....This is Bengal education
Cc @WordsSlay @ippatel pic.twitter.com/35OcnE64P8
— Ajay Kumar Yadav 🇮🇳 (@ajay_kumar9808) August 19, 2018

Farhan Akhtar's photo used in place of Milkha Singh in West Bengal textbooks. What next? Arbaaz Khan's portrayed as Roger Federer in GK textbooks? Anyway, Bengal politicians seem to be taking Twitter a too seriously with their MPs too referring to Twitter handles in Parliament
— Tushar Sharma (@ReticentReveler) August 19, 2018

So these kids think that @FarOutAkhtar is real #Milkhasingh . That’s what they are studying in their syllabus @swarup58 @PrakashJavdekar @HRDMinistry @BishanBedi pic.twitter.com/kz8r2EjnGk
— madan mohit bhardwaj (@mohitbhardwaj23) August 19, 2018

When West Bengal education board have Shown Shri Milkha Singh Ji as actor Farhan Akhtar they might show Bengal as Australia. pic.twitter.com/GOemxZ91uB
— Mayank Singh🇮🇳🚩 (@Rajputanalegend) August 19, 2018