The last time I watched Vikrant Massey was in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail. His performance as an aspiring UPSC candidate, based on the story of IPS Manoj Sharma, has stayed with me. Likewise, in The Sabarmati Report too, the actor does not fail to impress. In the role of a photojournalist, Massey leaves a lasting impression as he goes about following his boss on the ground during field reporting and, in the process, comes face to face with harsh realities that make him question his own perception of truth and demand answers that are difficult to come by.
In a way, his character becomes the representative of the voices of those at the periphery; and how one of the bloodiest chapters in human history continues to haunt the families of those who died, even today. How could only a particular coach, in this case, coach S6 of the train, could have possibly caught fire while others remained untouched? What exactly happened and how?
Written by Dheeraj Sarna, the script is to the point with no aspect added just for the sake of it, as a filler. Every frame adds value to the narrative which revolves around the shocking massacre that shook the nation on February 27, 2002, when a particular coach of the Sabarmati Express caught fire leading to the death of 59 pilgrims near the Godhra railway station in Gujarat. Directed by Ranjan Chandel, the film also displays courage as it aims to provide a well thought-out and clear-cut explanation. Whether to take it or not is up to the viewer, but the narrative does not keep us hanging, which is noteworthy.
The photojournalist passionately follows the story and shares the evidence he has recorded with his managing editor. However, his truth gets suppressed in favour of a fabricated truth which, in today's terms, would be referred to as fake news. With sharp cinematography and crisp editing, there are many moments of flourish throughout the film that are told in a poignant and hard-hitting manner.
While the first half of the film trains its lens on the Godhra incident and shows a media house helping to cover up facts, the second half revolves around the journey of discovering the reported truth. Raashii Khanna and Massey carry the film on their shoulders and keep the pace going throughout. One remains engaged with the characters as the narrative flows along smoothly, without feeling stretchy or boring. The dialogues are sharp and intense and the background score adds to the mood which is by and large guided by a palpable patriotic fervour. The entire cast, right from Massey to Riddhi Dogra and Khanna, has nailed their performances and the film is a delight to watch for both the story as well as the delivery.
Film: The Sabarmati Report
Director: Ranjan Chandel
Cast: Vikrant Massey, Ridhi Dogra, Raashi Khanna and others
Rating: 3.5/5
