Gadar: Ek Prem Katha

If there is one movie that I would pick as one of the best movies that the Indian Film Industry has produced, it has to be-"Gadar-Ek Prem Katha." It is very sweeping statement to make, but I make it with conviction. The best movies are either fiction (Shawshank Redemption,) or portrayal of an event that left indelible scars and memories that is left for generations to cope. There were two people who put this masterpiece of a movie together, Anil Sharma and Nitin Keni, not necessarily popular names like Satyajit Ray and Raj Kapoor, but the sheer brilliance of the production, the reconstruction of the authenticity of the period, reminds me of David Lean production. It is difficult to relive part of the history that should be long forgotten, but to recreate this history is the genius of the director, in this case Anil Sharma. Sunny Deol, as (Tara Singh) is a performance of a life time for this actor whose talent has been under estimated and then we have Non Indian and idiot actors like Aamir Khan have been over estimated and put on a pedestal by morons of Mumbai media and these imbeciles for a cup of garam chai will worship anyone like pied pipers. Very few (Hrithik Roshan, Abishek Bachchan) can portray the raw emotions and bring a certain velocity to the character as Sunny Deol does here. He is matched by another thespian Amrish Puri, who is just an "Volcano" of talent. A new comer by the name of Amisha Patel, who gives a soulful, sobbing, stellar performance. She has subtlety and depth to her gaze and a femininity of emotion she brings to this character. Over-all, this is a masterpiece, that will be tough to be outdone.

Outstanding movie. Sunny Deol is completely unparallel and no other actor can play the role of Tara Singh except sunny.This movie is meant for Sunny and he proves it why he is called Action King of Bolywood.But other than action Gadar has solid plot of India-Pakistan Partition tale and a love story. Brilliant work by rest of the starcast too including Ameesha patel,Vivek Shauq,Lillete Dubey and above all Amrish Puri. And what to say about the massive craze of this movie outside cinema halls all over the India when it was released on 15th june 2001.No dabang or 3 idiots can come even near the shadow of Gadar's poularity.I still remember when i watched movie ,it was a housefull show in PARAS cinema,Kurukshetra even on the 50th day after the release and audience reaction whenever Sunny Deol uttered any dialogue,Absolutely matchless. Gadar is a landmark fim in the history of Indian cinema in terms of gross collection when adjusted to inflation. Yes It is superior to 3 idiots,ETT, Dabang etc.Its has footfalls of more than 4 crores, which is a record till date.

Indeed, Gadar is pulp history, and it's not the best picture in its presentation of the warring sides. Set during the 1947 India-Pakistan Partition, the film tells the love story between Tara Singh, a Sikh truck driver, and Sakina, a girl coming from an aristocratic Muslim family. The film presents the atrocities of war during Partition, with particular emphasis on the Punjab riots, where Hindus and Muslims kill each other on each group's migration to their destined country (India/Pakistan). Tara, aiming to kill Muslims, is shocked to find Sakina, whom he used to know years before Partition. He takes her under his protection and gives her shelter in gratitude of her kindness to him before.

Gadar is not a historical film, but it's quite a remarkable epic film in its extraordinary entertainment value. The film is thoroughly watchable and interesting, and it keeps the viewers (well it kept me, for sure) on the edge of their seats for its entire duration. The proceedings move at a fast pace, and even more so as the story unfolds. The romantic portions are beautiful and actually quite subtly done (note the scene where Sakeena helps Tara wear his turban, or the scene where she confesses to him - wonderful). The action that follows is excellent, and their escape later on is one of the most thrilling, entertaining and well-shot sequences of its kind.

The production values in this regard are fantastic. The sets and costumes are excellently chosen to create the desired atmosphere of that era. The film's huge tonal shift from brutal riots to pure romance and marital bliss to action-packed thriller makes the entire experience into quite an exhilarating rollercoaster ride. The traditional music is wonderful, and Uttam Singh can always be counted on to deliver beautiful melodies. Yes, some of the later parts get overblown both emotionally and in terms of the portrayal of the animosity between the two sides which is really a little childish and hard to believe, but it's a movie, and it's all within the context of a mainstream Hindi film.

Sunny Deol is tremendous in the lead role. I've liked him ever since his debut back in 1983 with Betaab, and here he gives a passionate, intense performance both in the early portions where he brilliantly plays Tara's innocent shyness and wholesome personality and in the later parts where he turns into the fierce action star he is known to be. His leading lady, Amisha Patel is luminous in a beautiful performance that remains her best work to this day. I wish she made more use of her tremendous potential. Amrish Puri is excellent because he always is although his part veers into caricature, and Lillete Dubey is very good, too. Tu sum it up, Gadar is a true cinematic experience fulfilling exactly what cinema is all about in the end: entertainment. There's plenty of it here.

No one, I mean no one could have played Tara Singh better than Sunny Deol. He plays an innocent monster. Sunny was born to play this role.

The issue the story tries to tackle is essential because from a historical standpoint, this really happened. The acting from Sunny Deol, Amita Patel, and Amrish Puri are awesome. The film deserved an award. The director Anil Sharma did a great job in creating different moods at appropriate times in the movie. I recommend it to everybody.