Gadar: Ek Prem Katha

Gadar: Ek Prem Nathan to the right

DVD cover
Directed by Anil Sharma
Produced by Nitin Keni
Written by Shaktiman Talwar
Starring Sunny Deol
Amisha Patel
Amrish Puri
Lilette Dubey
Narrated by Om Puri
Music by Uttam Singh
Cinematography Naj
Edited by A.D. Dhanashekharan
Keshav Naidu
Arun V. Narvekar
Distributed by Zee Telefilms
T-Series
Release dates
  • 15 June 2001 (2001-06-15)
Running time
186 minutes
Country India
Language Hindi/Urdu/Punjabi
Budget 185 million (equivalent to 520 million or US$7.7 million in 2016)[1]
Box office 600 million (equivalent to 1.7 billion or US$25 million in 2016)
(worldwide gross)[2]

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (Hindi: ग़दर: एक प्रेम कथा, ; Revolt: A Love Story) is a 2001 Bollywood action movie starring Sunny Deol, Amisha Patel, and Amrish Puri set in the time of the Indian partition. Gadar: Ek Prem Katha was a box office phenomenon and sold more tickets at theatres in India than any film in history apart from Sholay (1975). When Gadar was released on 15 June 2001, producer for Zee Telefilms, Nitin Keni, director Anil Sharma, lead star Sunny Deol, assorted trade pundits, and seasoned film critics had no idea that the film, which was set during a turbulent time in modern Indian history, would create box-office history. Gadar clashed with Aamir Khan's Lagaan at the box office. Made for 185 million (US$2.7 million), Gadar has made more than 600 million (US$8.9 million) and after its theatrical run, was commercially one of the most successful movies in India when it was released. It is in list of "One of the Biggest Blockbusters in Hindi Cinema".[3][4] Gadar: Ek Prem Katha is the most watched Hindi film in India as it recorded 5.05 crore footfalls in India.[5] The shy role of Sunny Deol was admired and led to the Filmfare nomination for the best actor.

The story of this film is loosely based on the real life of Boota Singh.[6]

Plot

Set in 1947, during the Partition of India, the film tells the story of a truck driver, Tara Singh (Sunny Deol), a Jatt Sikh, who falls in love with a Muslim girl, Sakina (Amisha Patel), belonging to an aristocratic family.

The story begins with Sikhs and Hindus being attacked by Muslims in Pakistan when trying to migrate to India on a train.A railway station of PIPLAN District Mianwali .Near the Rana Rajpoot area. In response, Sikhs and Hindus react by killing Muslims migrating to Pakistan from India. During the Hindu-Muslim riots that erupted soon after the Partition, Tara recognizes Sakina from the little Taj Mahal antique in her hands. He then saves and protects her from a murderous mob chasing her because she failed to get onto the train with her family members after being lost in the crowd. As the mob wants to brutally rape and then murder her, Tara Singh defends Sakina and disguises her as a Sikh to protect her.

While driving back to Tara's house, the story has a major flashback showing the relationship between Tara and Sakina during her college days, but the real ambition of Tara is to become a singer. Some girls in college who are friends of Sakina, fool Tara into thinking that they have got him a spot on a music show in return for a favor. Tara performs badly in front of the musyed by Sakina (Amisha Patel). His friend then gives him tablets that help him prove his singing skills. Soon after it is shown that Sakina is not the real music teacher, which saddens him. When performing on the music show Sakina announces that she will not do her act, instead giving Tara a chance to sing despite being against the will of the seniors at the college. Tara impresses everybody with his talent. While returning home after completing the final year, Sakina is given a goodbye present by Tara.

Later, Tara's parents and two sisters are seen weeping in Pakistan as they did not return to amritsar before the partition. Tara's Muslim friend comes to meet the family and requests them to stay with him as parents love both friends equally. But Tara's parents and sisters do not agree, they reluctantly decide to leave. While leaving for the station, Tara's father and mother give their daughters two paper pouches. The bewildered twins ask them what that is. Father says that the sisters should not hesitate to give up their lives lest any Muslim attacks and shatters them and their dignity. Then the family reaches the station and boards the train. After some time, a large mob attacks the whole train. People run pell-mell to save themselves but they are killed gruesomely. Tara's sister hastily tries to eat the poison but two men throw it from their hands and kill them after a cruel physical abuse.

Subsequently and back in the present, Sakina starts living in Tara's house and their respect culminates into love. One day, Tara's aunt comes to meet him and taking pity on the orphaned Sakina, asks her boy to transport her to the Muslim refugee camps. Tara and Sakina head out towards the camp but are again attacked by a violent mob. Tara again saves his madamji. Slowly Sakina and Tara Singh fall in love, get married and become parents of a baby boy named Jeet. Their life seems like a bed of roses, until Sakina sees an old newspaper during holi festival that has a photograph of her father, Ashraf Ali (Amrish Puri), whom she believes had been killed during the riots during the Partition.

Her father is now the mayor of Lahore. When Sakina calls him from the Pakistani Embassy in Delhi, he arranges to fly her to Lahore. However, Tara and their son, who are supposed to accompany her to Lahore, are told at the last minute that their visa formalities have not been completed, which compels them to stay in India. Sakina leaves with a heavy heart. She meets her whole clan back in Lahore. Everyone is thrilled to see her. Later, when she wants to return to India, her mom tells her that she was about to be disowned as people were babbling about her staying with an Indian Jatt. Her father too relates all of their hardships during the journey from India to Pakistan. Sakina is hurt and broken hearted. But she starts protesting when her parents' friends start using her post marriage life as a publicity stunt and depict her in-laws badly in order to extract more sympathy and votes from the Pakistani population. Later she is introduced to a very handsome guy who hails from a very influential rich family. She is told that she would be marrying him. But Sakina refuses and even asks the Qazi saheb to leave her alone, saying second marriage during the husband's lifetime is a sin. Her parents and mamaji are very angry with that. They forcibly lock her up in a room inside the palace.

Tara and his son, accompanied by a friend,enter Pakistan illegally at the border. Tara tries to take shelter in his old friend's house but hearing his wife fight about that, leaves the place with his son jeet and assistant. There they find out that Sakina is getting married and reach her before the marriage takes place. Mother and son reunite happily. A fight is about to break out when the priest stops them, as this can end up harming Sakina's father's career in politics. Ashraf Ali agrees for their marriage under two conditions: They should live in Pakistan and Tara should convert to Islam. But, after the second attack occurs, little Jeet is badly injured. These conditions are accepted by Tara in public the next day which was against Ashraf Ali's plans. He makes Tara insult his country to prove that he is a true Pakistani, which enrages him and this makes him kill a member of the mob that was hired by Ashraf to kill him. Tara, Sakina, their son, and a friend manage to escape. Tara and Sakina escape from the city and hide in a poor couple's cottage near the border forest. But the man's wife is a greedy woman who simply wants all of Sakina's ornaments for herself. She refuses to listen to her husband and tries to throw Sakina out from the house when she does not get more jewellery from her.

But after Sakina leaves with Jeet and Tara, Ashraf Ali reaches the cottage and relocates his daughter.

After a long period of turmoil they catch a cotton mill train which will be their ticket to India. Ashraf Ali finds out, and he takes some men to stop them. In the ensuing fight Sakina gets shot by her own father. In the hospital Sakina has lapsed into a coma whis mistake. Sakina gains consciousness after having a nightmare. The movie ends with Ashraf Ali accepting Tara as his son-in-law and they return to India.

Production

A part of Gadar was shot at Bishop Cotton School, Shimla and at other several locations in Shimla. A part of it was also shot in Sacred Heart School, Dalhousie. Although the film is set in 1947, it features the music of "Que sera sera" which was first published in 1956.

The movie was also shot in the city of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh where the city was depicted as Lahore, Pakistan and parts were shot at La Martiniere boys' school, Lucknow a UNESCO Heritage site. A significant part was shot in Pathankot, Sarna and Amritsar to depict the division torn country.[7]

Cast

  • Vikrant Chaturvedi as Kalim
  • Asha Bachchani as Zaheera
  • Naresh Sharma as Baldev
  • Rajshree Seem as Baldev's wife
  • Pratima Kazmi as Greedy Woman
  • Gyan Prakash as Wali Mohammed
  • Amita Khopkar as Bano
  • Prince Deepak as Jumman
  • Rahul Patkar as Aslam
  • Kanika Shivpuri as Tara's mother
  • Malvika Shivpuri as Tara's sister
  • Charan Preet
  • Tarika Khanna as Baby Sakina
  • Master Polyster as Baby Aslam
  • Santosh Gupta as Chanta
  • Om Puri as Narrator
  • Abhay Bhargava as Indian army officer

Crew

  • Producer: Nitin Kenir: Anil Sharma
  • Story: Shaktimaan Talwar
  • Screenplay: Shaktimaan
  • Dialogues: Shaktimaan

Box office

Gadar collected 60 crore after 18 weeks.[8] which in 2013 equals to 475 crore, if adjusted to inflation.[9] Gadar has third highest footfalls after Sholay and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun according to boxofficeindia.com.

Music

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha
Studio album by Uttam Singh
Released 2001 (India)
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Label
T-Series
Producer Uttam Singh
Uttam Singh chronology
Farz
(2001)
Gadar: Ek Prem Katha
(2001)
Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai
(2002)

The music. The song listing is as follows:

Song Singer(s)
"Udja Kale Kawan - Folk" Udit Narayan
"Musafir Jaane Wale" Udit Narayan, Preeti Uttam
"Main Nikla Gaddi Leke" Udit Narayan
"Udja Kale Kawan - Marriage" Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik
"Hum Juda Ho Gaye" Udit Narayan, Preeti Uttam
"Udja Kale Kawan - Search" Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Nihar S.
"Aan Milo Sajna" Ajay Chakraborty, Parveen Sultana
"Traditional Shaadi Geet " Preeti Uttam
"Udja Kale Kawan - Victory" Instrumental

Awards

Winner:

Nominated:

See also

References

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