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‘There are films, documentaries and reportage on the Internet about the Godhra riots. But whether the Sabarmati Express burned in an accident or a planned attack, what was the truth?’
“Everyone knows about 9/11. They know all about how it happened, why it happened and who made it happen. But we Indians don’t know the biggest moment in our country that changed our political thinking,” says Ekta R Kapoor, explaining why she chose to back the film The Sabarmati Report.
Directed by Dheeraj Sarna, the upcoming political thriller promises to unearth the truth behind the incident on the Sabarmati Express, which occurred on February 27, 2002, near the Godhra railway station in Gujarat.
During the press conference promoting the film, Ekta said the movie is “inspired by true event” and aims to highlight the beginning phases of the incident, with the help of “intense research” based on the documented facts.
“We are telling the genesis of this first facet without undermining the other facets. Unfortunately, this facet, how it all started, has not been reported enough,” Ekta added.
The trailer showcases Vikrant Massey as a journalist named Samar Kumar, who teams up with a fellow reporter, played by Raashii Khanna, and a star anchor, played by Riddhi Dogra. The film touches upon the role the media played in setting a narrative during the live coverage of the tragedy.
Vikrant stated that the film is “relevant” and “very important” as this generation does not know the history of the incident.
“There are thousands of films, documentaries and reportage present on the Internet regarding the Godhra riots. But whether the Sabarmati Express burned in an accident or a planned attack, what was the truth? You all have phones with Internet, and can look for yourself. But you can’t find anything about this tragedy,” Vikrant said.
Drawing parallels between the train tragedy and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the USA, the actor pronounced, “This was our 9/11 which changed our socio-political fabric overnight.”
WATCH: Vikrant opens up about The Sabarmati Report
Co-Producers Amul V Mohan and Anshul Mohan called Ekta “gutsy” for backing the project. Vikrant, who made his film debut in Ekta’s Lootera in 2013, reflected on his long professional relationship with Kapoor. The Sabarmati Report marks their eighth collaboration.
“When I didn’t get work even after working in films, it was Ekta who got me into television, and it was Ektaa again who got me out of the TV space and back in the films. And this time, it is even more special because I have children, relatives at my place, who are 13-14 years old, but they don’t know about Godhra. This makes the film even more special,” he said.
As seen in the trailer, the film also upon the national language debate as Vikrant’s character puts forward a case for the Hindi language.
Ekta highlighted that it was the time when speaking in local languages was looked down upon and journalists were given “preferential treatment based on the language they spoke”.
WATCH: Ekta Kapoor talks about of the bias of language within the country
Raashii Khanna admits she was initially unsure about doing this film, but changed her mind when Ekta and Vikrant got attached to the project.
WATCH: Raashii explains how playing a journalist was a learning experience for her”
Riddhi Dogra feels her character is the “reflection of the system” and represents a certain group of journalists.
Ekta Kapoor quickly calls them: “pseudo liberals”.
WATCH: Riddhi Dogra talks about her character in The Sabarmati Report
When Ekta was asked what if the film triggers communal animosity given its contentious nature, she responded that the film is “social commentary” and as makers, they have approached the subject respectfully.
“I will never make a comment about any religion because I’m a Hindu, and Hindu means you are secular,” she said.
She clarified that the team has not sought support from any political party.
“The only wing here is the wing of truth, and it’s the flight of that wing. Some people will like it, some people will not. But the film tells the true story, you can’t change facts,” she said.
The Sabarmati Report is set for release on November 15.
