Indian actor Farhan Akhtar, who had played Milkha Singh on the big screen, mourned his demise and said he is still unable to accept that the athlete passed away on Friday.

"Dearest Milkha ji, A part of me is still refusing to accept that you are no more. Maybe it’s the stubborn side I inherited from you.. the side that when it sets it’s mind on something, just never gives up," Farhan Akhtar wrote on Instagram where he also added an image with the athlete.

" And the truth is that you will always be alive. Because you were more than a large-hearted, loving, warm, down-to-earth man. You represented an idea. You represented a dream. You represented (to use your own words) how hard work, honesty and determination can lift a person off his knees and get him to touch the sky," he said.

" You have touched all our lives. For those who knew you as a father and a friend, it was a blessing. For those who didn’t, your story was as a constant source of inspiration and a reminder of humility in success. I love you with all my heart," he said.

Farhan had won hearts by playing the character of the athlete in the 2013 biopic titled Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.(SAM)