Film: Road To Sangam
Cast: Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Tushar Gandhi
Genre: Drama
Story: Car mechanic Hashmatullah has an important task at hand. He must repair the old historic vehicle which will be used to transport an urn containing Mahatma Gandhi's ashes to the Sangam. But the communal situation in his city makes it impossible for him to work since the Muslim community is following a boycott fatwa after a blast that led to minority bashing.
Movie Review: The film has done its round at the festival circuit and has garnered appreciable applause. It isn't hard to see why. Because, Road to Sangam is a sensitive plea for secularism and liberalism, even as it shuns the shrill cry of the fundamentalists in any and every religion. More importantly, it articulates the moderate Muslim voice which needs to be heard loud and clear in this cauldron of increasingly hysterical extremist rhetoric. Paresh Rawal's Hashmatullah isn't just a modest car mechanic. He's a walking, talking Preamble of India, upholding the essential values of a sovereign, democratic, secular nation.
The story is simple. Tushar Gandhi, playing himself, wants to transport an urn containing Gandhi's ashes for immersion in the Sangam. But the old Ford he wants to use needs to be overhauled before the procession of Gandhiwadis can make their way on this historic journey. What's more interesting is the juxtaposition of this one-liner plot against the communally sensitive backdrop of the city, Allahabad, which is still simmering after a blast that has caused grave concern amongst the Muslim community. The self-appointed heads of the community have ordered a complete shut-down of their shops and have decided to boycott the event to lodge their protest against the establishment. Mechanic Hashmatullah must not only repair the car's engine under such dire circumstances, he must also teach his community a few lessons in Gandhism, secularism, Indianism. Indeed, an arduous task which he accomplishes with a rare dignity and restraint.
