Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel's blockbuster Gadar Ek Prem Katha has now completed 25 years since its release. Marking the milestone, actress Ameesha Patel looked back at the early days of the shoot and shared a memory that has stayed with her ever since. She revealed just how nervous she was while filming one deeply emotional scene, largely because she had to perform it in front of veteran actor Amrish Puri.
‘Honestly, I miss Amrish ji a lot,’ Ameesha said. ‘The fear I felt during the shoot had nothing to do with him. In real life he was an incredibly warm person. His sense of humour was brilliant and he was very funny. Looking at his menacing on-screen characters like Mogambo and Ashraf Ali, no one could ever guess what a lively, big-hearted man he actually was.’
A First Scene That Felt Like a Trial by Fire
Before Gadar, Ameesha had appeared in just one film, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. So when she arrived on set, she was immediately asked to shoot a high-voltage emotional scene placed right after the interval, one in which she had to confront her on-screen father, played by Amrish Puri. For a newcomer, it was nothing short of a baptism by fire.
Shaking With Fear
Recalling her nerves, Ameesha said, ‘That confrontation scene was my very first scene for Gadar, and it was opposite Amrish ji. I was in a terrible state out of fear, I was genuinely trembling. But working with him turned out to be a wonderful experience. He made everything so easy for me that I never felt he was such a big artist and I was just a raw, inexperienced girl. At that point even my first film, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, had not released. It was still being shot and nobody knew who I was.’
What Gadar Is About
Gadar is set against the agonising backdrop of the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan, an upheaval that changed millions of lives forever. The film follows Tara Singh, a Sikh truck driver who risks his own life to save Sakina, the daughter of an influential Muslim family, amid the bloodshed of Partition. The two go on to build a new and beautiful life together in India. But their happiness is short-lived, as Sakina's family forcibly takes her to Pakistan. Tara Singh then crosses the border to bring his wife and son back, turning Pakistan upside down in the process.
