‘Aapka Pakistan Zindabad Hai Isse Humein koi Aitraaz Nahin, Lekin Hamara Hindustan Zindabad Tha, Zindabad Hai Aur Zindabad Rahega!’ [I don’t have a problem with Pakistan’s prosperity, but our Hindustan was, is and will always be prosperous! Long Live Hindustan!]
If you know this dialogue, you also know most of the movie by heart. The iconic Sunny Deol and Amisha Patel starrer ‘Gadar – Ek Prem Katha’ is all set to get a sequel, as the makers are now working on the same, and trying to finalize the project with the requisite cast.
According to reports confirmed by PTI, the makers are all set to take the story of Tara Singh, his beloved wife Sakeena and his son Charanjeet aka Jeet forward. According to a source close to the film’s production team, the story will cover the India Pakistan angle in a more detailed fashion. The makers have already had a word with Sunny Deol, and if all goes well, the principal cast is likely to be the same.
To quote the source, “We have been working on ‘Gadar’ sequel since 15 years. ‘Gadar’ will be story of Tara (Sunny), Sakeena (Ameesha Patel) and Jeet (their son). The story will move ahead with India-Pakistan angle, ‘Gadar’ is incomplete without it. The cast will remain same, like how we have seen in films like ‘Baahubali’, ‘Rambo, ‘Fast and Furious’, etc. We have discussed the idea with Sunny. We can’t disclose anything at the moment.”
For those unaware, ‘Gadar – Ek Prem Katha’ is a romantic drama that was released on 15 June 2001. Centered around the aftermath of India’s partition, the film told the consequences through the eyes of a shy but able Sikh transporter Tara Singh [Sunny Deol], who falls in love with Sakeena Ali [Amisha Patel], daughter of pro Partition extremist Ashraf Ali [Amrish Puri].
Unlike other movies like ‘Garam Hawa’, ’Gandhi’, which had treated the subject in the classic left liberal style, ‘Gadar’, though masala oriented, minced no words on Islamic extremism that was clearly responsible for the Partition, and sent a strong message to those who think of bringing India to their knees.
Though it clashed with the much more popular ‘Lagaan’, which went on to win an Oscar nomination, ‘Gadar’ not only stood its own ground, but also opened to packed theatres, with shows running houseful for months. According to an estimate, Gadar was one of the first films to break the barrier of earning Rs. 100 crore rupees domestically, and was declared a ‘Blockbuster’. Even after 18 years, the popularity of this movie hasn’t reduced at all. We don’t know whether we can see Tara paaji uprooting the hand pump once again, but we hope the sequel does pay a fitting tribute to the legacy set by the original film.