One of the basic purposes of making a well-researched film on historical events of a country is to enlighten the next generations about the unsaid facts and how it all happened many decades back. Since a big majority of youngsters remains uninterested in reading history books, film adaptations on historical events and key figures of the political history play a significant role in making the information reach the young and the unaware.
The statement perfectly fits the description of Ketan Mehta’s SARDAR as it is one of those rare realistic movies that narrate the time period around Indian independence and partition with a distinctive, bold and eye-opener vision. Personally, the film was a serious shocker for me as we had just started exploring the world during our post-graduation years and the three hours spent watching it raised many crucial questions, knocking at all the locked doors.
In short, my study to know more about our independence, partition and that time period actually began with creations like TAMAS and SARDAR in the early 90s that eventually changed my entire outlook towards everything quite drastically. To be honest, the journey into that time period was actually quite different than what we had casually learned through our school books and there was a whole world of new information yet to be explored as a youngster. It was still the era of books and magazines (the cable TV had just been introduced), truly demanding a lot of physical and mental effort going through the materials available in the college and Delhi Public libraries.
Both TAMAS and SARDAR strongly made that never before kind of impact on us, as they both were (and still are) two memorable, solid and path breaking projects made by their blessed filmmakers revolving around the years of Indian independence and partition. Later, towards the end of the century only one film HEY RAM was able to take me into the same trance yet again with its sheer brilliance.
In the present world of FAKE Whats App forwards that get believed in and forwarded without giving any second thoughts, I am not sure how many young minds would be interested in making their individual study of the past through their own research. But classics like SARDAR can certainly help triggering their quest for truth, as an unexpectedly shocking eye-opener making them aware of many unknown, hard and bitter truths about our own powerful leaders of the past. In other words, SARDAR as a film is surely capable of changing your entire outlook towards the freedom struggle and influence of our famous leaders both on the British and the people of our own country around 1947.
To be straight, post finishing my academic studies, diving more deeply into the world of literature and books, I always had a thought that every school in the country should essentially show three films to their students in class 11th and 12th, giving them the actual picture of the history. One is the most obvious Richard Attenborough’s GANDHI, second is Govind Nihalani’s TAMAS and the third has to be Ketan Mehta’s SARDAR. In addition, every film screening should also be followed by a detailed class by a learned (impartial) teacher, further suggesting the students some more important books to read on the subject as a must.
Representing realistic, meaningful cinema, SARDAR also provides an enriching cinematic experience in the thoughtful direction of Ketan Mehta, who apart from a detailed research and execution, successfully manages to extract impeccable performances from the entire cast skillfully led by Paresh Rawal. Unarguably, among the top 3 movies of both its director and lead actor, SARDAR is an unmissable watch, especially for the youngsters really interested in the political history of our country and those unforgettable years from 1945-1948.
Produced by H. M Patel and presented by Foundation for Films on India’s War of Independence and The Farmers of Gujarat, it begins with life and characters in the present India of the 80s-90s, who decide to make a film initiating their collective research. And then the narration takes the viewer back to the pre-independence era when Sardar Patel met Mahatma Gandhi in 1917 in Godhra. Along with being a well-conceived period film with an important content matter, SARDAR is also a treat to watch featuring all young talented actors who are now well-known established names in the Hindi film industry. Plus the credits stated further add their own merits to the epic creation with Salim Arif (costumes), Suhasini Mulay (casting director), Renu Saluja (editing), Vanraj Bhatia (music), Vijay Tendulkar (script) and Shyam Benegal (Principal Advisor).
The National Award winning film is bound to make you think exploring many new avenues, as our history would never have been the same without SARDAR PATEL being there, standing tall as a rock solid iron man bringing the country together. So do watch it as a must and do refer it to your young ones in the family and friend circle too as it would rightly guide them well, instead of the dubious mobile forwards.
Note 1: Every historical film can never be a perfect recreation, as history itself is studied, recorded and explored by different minds differently following their own thought process. However, a cinematic adaptation perfectly serves the purpose, if it makes you rethink about the past and forces you to read and research more beginning a new journey of your own. That is exactly where SARDAR succeeds as a true classic and is a splendid effort made by the entire creative team (……made well in time in 1993-94).
Note 2: Reading the year of the film’s release as 1994, many friends might be willing to correct it to 1993 as quoted in many online pages and sites. Informing them all, the film actually got released in 1994 as its censor certificate itself was issued on 31st December 1993. All the online portals have actually taken the year from its censor certificate.
Note 3: At the time of updating this write-up, the film could be seen at Youtube uploaded by various users with English subtitles.
Bobby Sing
bobbytalkscinema.com
(Updated in October 2020)
