Hardly anyone would know about the Godhra incident in Gujarat that took place in 2002. 59 innocent people lost their lives in the accident when two bogies of the Sabarmati Express originating from Ayodhya caught fire. There was less research on this issue and more politics around it. Vikrant Massey has come with his film ‘The Sabarmati Report’ to reveal what the truth was and what was proven.
What is the story of the film?
The film begins with Ram’s devotees boarding the Sabarmati Express and then the train burning. After this, we are shown the most famous scene from the movie Raaz, in which Malini’s ghost talks in a very seductive manner about ruining Dino Morea’s character Aditya. This screen is shown at the press screening, where Hindi Medium journalist Samar Kumar (Vikrant Massey), who arrived as a video journalist, asks the filmmakers a trivial question.
Watching the scene, Samar Kumar asks the makers of the film Raj that if the girl seen on the screen is a ghost, why is she wearing lipstick? Hearing this question, the makers get angry and with this, Samar’s girlfriend also gets angry. Samar had brought his middling English girlfriend Shloka (Barkha Singh) to be photographed with the filmmakers at this screening. Her headless question insulted him and also took away his opportunity to take a photo of his girlfriend.
While leaving the event, Samar receives a call from the office. This call will change your vision of life and the world. Samar is sent to report about the fire on the Sabarmati Express. He is accompanied by Manika Rajpurohit (Riddhi Dogra), senior journalist of the IBT news channel. Here Manika and Samar try to find out together how the accident happened at ground zero. There is a world of difference between what they know and what Manika reports.
Samar Kumar does his report here and then takes the video tape and deposits it in the office. But only the lies told by Manika are shown on television and Samar’s voice of truth is suppressed and he is fired from work. Samar has quit his job and become an alcoholic. But after 5 years, he again gets the chance to reveal the truth of the Godhra incident. Now Samar, along with IBT’s new reporter Amrita Gill (Raashi Khanna), will bring to light the truth that has been hidden for years.
altering the facts
Basic facts have been altered in the film. For example, in the film it is shown that at the time of the train accident in Godhra, the Chief Minister was a woman. Some time after the whole accident happened, the Modi government was formed in Gujarat. In the disclaimer of the film it is written that the story of the film is inspired by real events and its dramatic version has been shown on screen. Maybe that’s what they were talking about there.
In the midst of all this, everything has been done to balance the film. But director Dheeraj Sarna did not have much success in this. The comments made about the Muslim community and some scenes in the film are quite strange and ridiculous. It is quite irritating to see the battle between Hindi and English journalism in the midst of all this. Meanwhile, it cannot be understood whether the film is about the Sabarmati Express accident or about Hindi and English journalism. The film also gives you the opportunity to question journalism. IBT News Channel, which is distorting things, has credibility and bravery written on its walls.
performance
Vikrant Massey has proven what a great actor he is through his various films in recent years. His work is also good in the movie ‘The Sabarmati Report’. But you can also clearly see the flaws in the writing of his character. That’s why you also raise questions about him. Riddhi Dogra is good in the role of a rude senior journalist. Raashi Khanna has also played her role well. Apart from these three, the supporting actors in the film are also good. If we talk about the script and the background music of the film, it is quite useless.