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The Punjabi film Sarabha on the great Indian revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha, who was hanged by the British at the young of 19 in Lahore in 1915, has drawn a huge response from audiences even before its release in November.
Los Angeles-based Punjabi film director and writer Kavi Raz, who is known for making films on great Punjabi heroes, say, “Sarabha isn’t a typical Punjabi film (with English titles). I have created a historical document on the role of Gadar heroes in India’s independence. Sarabha was a young boy of just 19 who gave his life for his motherland. Sarabha inspired the great revolutionary Bhagat Singh.”
The film director says he is requesting the Punjab government to make this film a part of school curriculum to inculcate inspiration and pride in the future generations of Punjabis.
Born at Sarabha village (which is now part of Ludhiana city in Punjab), Sarabha sailed to the US at the young age of 15 to study at the University of Berkeley.
Once in America, young Sarabha was swept by the Gadar movement launched by Indian expatriates on the west coast of the US and Canada to free India from British rule.
Says director Kavi Raz, “I moved to the US from Britain at the same age of 15. As a young boy, I heard stories about Sarabha and other Gadar heroes from my sister’s father-in-law Hazara Singh who had come to the US in 1913 and knew many Gadar leaders in in the Bay Area. Inspired by their stories, I told a magazine in an interview in 1982 that one day I will make a film on Gadar heroes. Sarabha is the result of my efforts and research of may years.”
The film director says that it is first the time that any Punjabi film is opening in 55 theatres in the US. “I am overwhelmed by the response to Sarabha. Before its release in early November, there is a rush for advanced bookings. It is something new for a Punjabi film. People in Surrey, Fresno and elsewhere are printing and distributing posters and flyers to promote this patrotic film.”
The film, which was shot in Ganganagar in India, Canada and the US, will be released worldwide on November 3.
The director says he chose Chandigarh’s Japtej for the role of Sarabha after auditioning many actors for it.
“We wanted someone who was of Sarabha age, height and looked like him. We put Japtej through auditioned and I think he fits the role brilliantly. He has a great job.”
Kavi Raz, who also plays the role of the tallest Gadar leader Sohan Singh Bhakna in his film, says, “I didn’t want to do that role even as many told me that I will be a greta fit for the role. I tried my best tofind someone for Bhakna’s role. But in the end, I found no one and then I had no choice but to do the role myself.”
After his 2017 film The Black Prince on Maharaja Duleep Singh, Sarabha is Kavi Raz’s second film on historic Punjabis figures.
Mississauga-based Kuldeep Sharma of the Crown Group of Hotels is one of the producers of this film. His son Sameer Sharma also plays a small role in the movie.
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