After the ’12th fail’, Filmfare Best Actor Critic 2023 winner Vikrant Massey has returned to the big screen with his film ‘The Sabarmati Report’. The film has been in discussion for a long time for several reasons, such as a change in the director, delay in release date and trailer reactions. But now the film has come to theaters, including Vikrant Massey along with Riddhi Dogra and Rashi Khanna. Recently, with a substandard Diwali release like ‘Singham Again’ and ‘Bhool Bhulaiya 3’, ‘The Sabarmati Report’ is different, better in terms of story, and inspires the audience to think of innocent lives lost during one of the most deadly Indian riots. Producer Ekta Kapoor and director Dheeraj Sarna’s ‘The Sabarmati Report’ claims that it has put the story of a historical incident in India on screen, which has been written, read and heard about a lot about it, but is it all true? The manufacturers have tried to add a new aspect to the incident. The film highlights the participation of Indian media houses and the dilemma of its journalists.
Story
‘The Sabarmati Report’ revolves around the Godhra incident in Gujarat in 2002, where 59 innocent people died due to fire in Sabarmati Express. The film throws light on a reporter whether it was a tragic accident or a frightening conspiracy. However, those who are thinking that this film will have an old story like the first films on the incident of Gujarat, then you are probably wrong. The manufacturers have adopted an adventurous approach to the incident of Sabarmati Express. The film also shows an ideological conflict between Hindi -speaking journalists and Western media, making the ‘The Sabarmati Report’ even more interesting and real. Those interested in Indian history must watch this film.
The story begins with the struggle to know the truth of this railway accident, which shows a conflict between the truth and falsehood between Hindi -speaking journalist Samar Kumar (Vikrant Masi) and English journalist Manika Rajpurohit. But the real turn in the story comes when the woman journalist Amrita Gill (Rashi Khanna) has an entry and she examines the entire incident to give new wings to the incomplete effort of Summer. Are Summer and Amrita successful in this? For this you have to watch this film.
Acting
The acting of artists in ‘The Sabarmati Report’ is commendable. Vikrant Masi, Rashi Khanna and Riddhi Dogra, who played the role of journalists, have made the story deeper with their acting. For an actor like Vikrant, who played the role of ’12th Fail’, ‘Sector 36’ and ‘Death in the Ganj’, it becomes even better with ‘The Sabarmati Report’. His acting in this film is like water; It flows and has a calm effect. Rashi has added a special attraction to his character, while Riddhi has captivated everyone with his impressive acting. She is completely in the role of a boss lady and does justice to her.
Writing and direction
Actor Dheeraj Sarna, who appeared in Yash’s role in Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms’ famous TV show ‘Kutumb’, has directed the ‘The Sabarmati Report’. Where the manufacturers lacked experience in Saran’s efforts despite the Nanavati-Mehta Commission’s findings; You can easily see the proof of this by looking at some scenes of the film. But overall, his attempt to put this serious issue on screen has been good. In addition, the flaws in writing are properly covered by good acting and background score.
VFX technology has been used well in scenes like train burning, but cinematography looks a bit cold. As a producer, Ekta Kapoor has tried his best to entertain the audience in theaters, but the silent part of the film is its writing. In addition, the film seems to be derailed in the middle, as the ‘The Sabarmati Report’ becomes a battle of domination between two league journalists more than the Gujarat riots, but it will not bore you at all. The role of these journalists can be called the focal point of the film.
conclusion
‘The Sabarmati Report’ is a film based on a true incident, so it can be debated whether the film is authentic or not. But as Vikrant said in one of his interviews, it is a shame for humanity to watch this film with the glasses of Hindu-Muslim or Left-Right Wing. The ‘The Sabarmati Report’ not only pays tribute to the innocent people killed during the riots, but also remains interesting to the end as an entertainment. The film is definitely worth watching for those who are interested in Indian history and, therefore, is truly entitled to 3 stars.