Road to Sangam

Plot

A simple story of a God fearing, devout Muslim mechanic named Hashmat Ullah (Paresh Rawal) who has been entrusted the job of repairing an old Ford V8 engine, not knowing the historic significance – that it once carried the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi which were immersed in the holy Triveni Sangam. He is caught in a complex situation after a powerful bomb explosion rocks his town leading to the arrest of innocent Muslim youths of his locality. A work strike is called by the prominent leaders of his community, played by Om Puri and Pawan Malhotra, to protest against the unjust treatment meted out to the youths arrested by the police. Will he support the protest and abandon the repair of the engine or go against the wishes of his community? Thus begins his journey. A journey of Gandhian values, principles and patriotism.

Cast

Awards and accolades

Official selection and nomination in festivals worldwide:

Production

Amit Rai first formed the idea for the film when he read a story about the restoration of the truck that carried Mahatma Gandhi's ashes to the Sangam by a Muslim mechanic. After he read about Gandhi's ashes being unearthed in an Orissa bank vault, he decided to write a script based on the idea. To prepare for his role as an orthodox Maulvi, Pawan Malhotra watched Urdu language channels. The film was shot on location in Allahabad. Tushar Gandhi makes a cameo appearance in the film and many of the secondary characters are non-actor residents of Allahabad.

Marketing

In a unique gesture, the Indian Post & Telegraphs Department issued special envelopes on the release of the film. They also put up posters and advertisements in all the post offices in the country.

Music

The music has been primarily given by two young directors - Nitin kumar gupta and Prem Haria. The 500-year-old song "Vaisnav Jan", which was a favourite of Gandhi, has been rearranged for this film. The music received the award for Best Foreign Film Original Score at Los Angeles Reel Film Festival.

Reviews

The film has received acclamation all over the world. Pratyush Khaitan called it the best Gandhi film of all time. Another has termed it one of the six must see forthcoming films for 2010.

Awards