Milan on the saddle

He is as passionate about horses as he is about films. Director Milan Luthria who is gearing up for his next film, The Dirty Picture, started riding horses at the age of sixu00a0- he used to go to school on a pony (yes, in South Mumbai), and is now the proud owner of two fillies. A horse racing enthusiast, Milan is mostly found at the Mahalaxmi race course on his off days. CS chatted up with him on his passion:


Who: Milan Luthria
What: Talking about his passion for horses
Where: At the Mahalaxmi race course

Horsing around
As a kid, I used to go to school on a horse. A pony ride at that time cost only four annas and my mom was happy to indulge me. The horse-wala carried the school bag while the water bottle was around the horse's neck (laughs). My parents also loved horses. Dad enjoyed racing while mom loved riding for pleasure. I don't recollect playing cricket or football as a child. As I grew a little older, I started going to the racecourse twice a day for horse riding lessons. Horses are highly instinctive telepathic creatures. They are very sensitive to the commands of their riders. A horse gets his signals from the physical movements of the rider's heels, knees and calves. The rider also learns to anticipate the horse's moves after a period of time. It's a very primitive connection.

On a high horse
I have a couple of horses, or rather fillies. Two-year-old Invictus, (named after the film) is a race horse. The other one is even younger. We haven't named him as yet. I love spending my time at the race course. The people at the club know me since childhood. Here, I am free from the trappings of Bollywood. The racecourse with its greenery is like a perfect escape from the concrete jungle. Besides, horse riding keeps me fit. I don't need to do anything else to burn the calories. I have won the Western India Tent Pegging events. Tent Pegging is a sport that needs a lot of skill and accuracy. You have to pick up a tent peg with an 8.5 feet lance from the ground. Besides, I have also participated in polo tournaments, show-jumping and amateur horse racing matches.

Ride on
Amongst actors, Saif Ali Khan and Ajay Devgn are good riders. Even Salman Khan has a passion for horses. I recently gifted Ajay's daughter Nysa a pony, Ginger, which is at their Karjat farmhouse. My favourite horse related films are Black Stallion, Sea Biscuit and all the old Bollywood dacoit films. Actors like the late Feroze Khan (Dharmatma) and Sunil Dutt looked fabulous on horses. But there is no one to beat Clint Eastwood - I think he was the ultimate man on a horse.