Film producer, distributor Yusuf Shaikh remembers how the Sunny Deol – Ameesha Patel starrer Gadar: Ek Prem Katha changed lives

By Yusuf Shaikh -

August 4, 2023 - 4:28 PM IST

One week to #gadar2. Time to pay tribute to the biggest blockbuster Indian film ever. #gadarekpremkatha. Long post alert. Banta hai!

Film producer, distributor Yusuf Shaikh remembers how the Sunny Deol – Ameesha Patel starrer Gadar: Ek Prem Katha changed lives

I have a story to tell, and I am sure lots of you, especially my exhibitor/ distributor friends from Hindi Film Industry too have loads of stories around this EPIC saga of love, which broke all records there ever were!

My story started much before it’s release.

Gadar released on 15th June 2001, but for an exhibitor in Gujarat (I was one of the leading chain holders of Gujarat cinemas with 41 cinemas on lease), the biggest ever tragedy struck us with the Gujarat earthquake on 26th January 2001.

26th January 2001 morning 9 am, we all woke up to the worst Earthquake ever. The entire state was hit by the saddest tragedy, destruction and death all around. How nature can change things in minutes. People had lost their loved ones and many lost everything they had.

We, the cinema exhibitors were in dire straits. We had to forget the business. Who would come to a cinema hall when people were finding even a basic survival so difficult?

No audience in cinemas/ no income to pay salaries and electricity bill/ no income to pay the high lease rentals of these cinemas. All around gloom!

Before the earthquake, the business was at its peak. Happy days and happy times, we all had a Dream run, as they say. All dreams were shattered. No one knew how to manage!

Come 15th June 2001, the day of #GADAR release.

Who would have known… the exhibition sector, which was plunged into darkness for so long, had a glimmer of hope. Hope in the name of Tara Singh. Gadar was a smash hit! Happy days were here again… every show Houseful.. every cinema overcrowded to the brim. First time ever, we were screening shows round the clock. On 1 cinema print I was screening 4 cinemas and still each cinema was full. Not for a day or days but for weeks.

One film changed our fortunes and wiped out our losses of 6 months. Can’t express how I sobbed in each show when the audience went berserk whistling and clapping for Tara Singh and Sakina.

The phenomenon of #gadarekpremkatha, those who have seen are blessed. This is not a film, it’s history. It’s an emotion. It’s a life line, it’s gods marvel to all those who had suffered and never gave up hope. For me it was a life changing moment. Cinema for people like us is such phenomenons. I have lived many such stories. Some good and some shockingly bad ones. Will share them someday.

As they say ‘bhagwan ke Ghar der hai par andher nahi’

But today is the time to celebrate this EPIC film and wishing the entire team of #gadar2 super success. May it create more life changing stories. The first surely changed my life.

Let’s create a chain of stories and impact of #Gadarekpremkatha on our lives. Everyone can contribute.

Also Read: Gadar 2: Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel and Utkarsh Sharma bring back the nostalgia of ‘Main Nikla Gaddi Leke’, watch