Revisiting Gadar: Ek Prem Katha - A classic saga of love and patriotism

22 years after setting the box office on fire, Tara Singh is back "carrying forward the legacy of its iconic first part". In Gadar: The Katha Continues (Gadar 2), set against the backdrop of the India-Pakistan war of 1971, Sunny and Ameesha are seen reprising the roles of Tara and Sakina respectively, while taking forward the story of their love and struggles. A sequel to the 2001 period drama Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, in Gadar 2, Tara returns to Pakistan to bring his son (Utkarsh Sharma) back to India. 

Amid the first reviews of Gadar 2 pouring in, let's revisit the phenomenon that was Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. 

Revisiting the film

Set against the backdrop of the horrors of partition and its aftermath -- communal riots, mass casualties, a colossal wave of migration and country-wide unrest, Gadar narrates a beautiful love story of an interfaith couple -- a Muslim girl (Sakina) belonging to an aristocratic family and a Sikh truck driver (Tara Singh). The film follows the journey of Tara played by Sunny Deol, a loving husband and a patriot at heart willing to take on the neighbouring country to bring his wife Sakina (Ameesha Patel) back home to India.

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha opens with scenes of violence across India and Pakistan. People (Sikhs and Hindus) travelling back to India from Pakistan are mercilessly killed in post-partition communal riots. Consequently, Muslim families on their way to Lahore from India are attacked and slaughtered. During the riots, Tara also plans to kill Muslims but saves Sakina (who he calls Madamji) when he recognises her from a Taj Mahal miniature in her hands. Tara protects her from the mob chasing and attempting to rape and murder her. It is at this moment that he faux-marries Sakina by applying blood to her forehead (implying sindoor) and taking her as his wife.

(Tara Singh and Sakina's love story is set during the partition | Image: YouTube screengrab)

Notably, filmmaker Anil Sharma does not shy away from showcasing post-partition ground realities such as mass migration, inter-communal violence and the prevalence of sexual violence perpetrated against women.

As the story moves forward, it is revealed in a flashback that Tara (whose real ambition is to be a singer) and Sakina are acquainted with each other. The truck driver from Amritsar falls head-over-heels in love with Sakina when she, after tricking him into auditioning for a spot on a music show in her college, ends up sacrificing her act and giving Tara a chance to sing at the event. Inevitably, Tara leaves everyone impressed. He later gives Sakina a goodbye present -- the Taj Mahal miniature, when she returns home after completing her final year. 

Cut to the present day where Sakina, separated from her family, eventually falls for Tara Singh. Then comes the inevitable separation and the hero subsequently travels to Pakistan, defies all odds and reunites with his soulmate and the mother of his child. 

An unabashed narrative

The film's unabashed narrative and its ability to capture raw emotions struck such a chord with the audience that reportedly, people travelled in huge numbers in trucks to watch the high-octane action sequences and the drama between Tara Singh and his Pakistani father-in-law Ashraf Ali (Amrish Puri) unfold on the big screen. 

(The confrontation scenes between Amrish Puri and Sunny Deol became hugely popular | Image: YouTube screengrab)

A storm of emotions among the audience ensured a thunderous opening day and opening weekend for Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel's film. Sakina and Tara's chemistry, Amrish Puri's powerful performance and the now-iconic handpump ukhadna sequence combined with high-decibel, paisa-vasool dialogues such as "Agar aapka Pakistan zindabad hai toh isme humein koi aitraaz nahi lekin hamara Hindustan zindabad hai, zindabad tha aur zindabad rahega", that stirred a sense of patriotism among the audiences, contributed to Gadar: Ek Prem Katha becoming a classic over the years.  

A lyrically wholesome album

Additionally, a lyrically wholesome album that included a romantic number Udd Jaa Kale Kanwa in the soulful voices of Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik and a peppy dance song Main Nikla Gaddi Leke that became a monstrous hit added to Gadar's popularity.

Not to forget the chartbuster Musafir Jaane Wale that comes at a key moment in the film where Tara is safely escorting Sakina to the Pakistani border amid gory scenes of post-partition in undivided Punjab. The core essence of the song was centred around the pain of partition and forced displacement where the traveller (musafir) who is never to return, crosses the border.

Notably, the soundtracks in Gadar were integrated into the unfolding of the storyline while the Anil Sharma directorial ignited conversations about unconditional love, sacrifice and nationalism. At the same time, Sunny's Tara became a cult figure who defied all odds for his family. 

(Musafir Jaane Wale is a soulful ballad that plays when Tara escorts Sakina back to Pakistan | Image: Twitter) 

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha vs Lagaan: The much-hyped box office clash

One cannot talk about the monstrous hit Gadar: Ek Prem Katha without the mention of Lagaan and the much-hyped box office clash. 

It was the summer of 2001 when the box office was gearing up for one of the biggest clashes -- Lagaan and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. Ashutosh Gowariker directed Lagaan had turned the tide in its favour, courtesy of the tropes it had to make it a commercial hit -- a big star, a love triangle, vast musical numbers and set in 1893, the underdog story of an unlikely bunch of Indian villagers from Champaner -- who were faced with the Herculean task of defeating the colonial sahibs in a zero-sum cricket match in order to be exempted from paying taxes for three years -- triumphing against the odds.

Meanwhile, Gadar, headlined by Sunny Deol -- an actor whose career was on the wane after back-to-back box office failures (Farz, Champion and Dillagi), was looked upon as though it was no competition to Ashutosh's Lagaan. 

Notably, both films at their core had patriotic sentiments and the ingredients of great family entertainers. But it was Lagaan on which the trade analysts had their bets. Unbelievably for them, Gadar emerged victorious in the aforementioned box-office clash. The Sunny Deol starrer beat Lagaan by more than double the margin with a massive Rs 76.88 crore against Lagaan's Rs 34.31 crore (India nett).  

22 years later...

Gadar 2 is in cinemas and as expected the advance ticket sales have been phenomenal. It, however, remains to be seen if the film will be able to cast the same magic as the original.