Filmmaker Anil Sharma says the moment he got Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’s script in hand, he knew it had the potential of becoming India’s biggest hit film. Twenty-five years later, after making several records and a hit franchise, he feels blessed that the film is “still alive in people’s hearts”.
The film starred actors Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, Amrish Puri in leading roles and released alongside Aamir Khan’s Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India on June 15, 2001.
He tells HT City, “The day film’s writer Shaktimaan Talwar narrated the story, I knew it had the potential to become India’s biggest hit film, and it did. Mother India (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Sholay (1975) have been my favourite films and I tried to make this in that level and it made it to top list. Besides blockbuster business, it got 10 crore footfall and no film has achieved that till date. Even Gadar 2 had half of this footfall.”
On the biggest clash on the day of release he says, “Today we discuss competing against Lagaan, par koi competition nahi tha! In those days two-three big movies used to release together and work as well. The audience used to watch one show of this and another of that back-to-back. Woh marketing nahi, woh dil ka daur tha.”
Sharma adds, “People ask me if there was a choice of cast but there were no two choices be it Sunny Deol, Amrish Puri or others.”
And is Gadar 3 in the making? “After Utkarsh (Sharma, son-actor) grew up, people started saying Jeete ka kahani laao. But for me, if the Gadar story was a bomb, I would only make Gadar 2 if I get an atom bomb story and it made history. Now, if I get a nuclear bomb story then only I will make it. We are working on the script and God-willing if all goes on track we will start Gadar 3 next year!” he reveals.
On shooting in Lucknow, where the iconic handpump scene was shot at La Martiniere College and the Pakistan portion was shot, the filmmaker says, “The city an important role in the film and now it’s play another role in city’s tourism. Autowallah, guides and rickshaw-pullers take tourists to spots where the film was shot and have iconic spots. People keep telling me stories. We shot Gadar 2 in Lucknow and whenever third one happens we will surely shoot there. Gadar without Lucknow is not possible!”
He has started shooting for Arjun Naga but has not made an official announcement yet.