“Can’t wait to hear my grandfather’s roaring voice in the theatres again,” says Amrish Puri’s grandson Vardhan Puri as Gadar re-releases in cinemas

MUMBAI: In the year 2001, Sunny Deol and Amrish Puri gave Hindi cinema one of its biggest blockbusters till date - Gadar : Ek Prem Katha. The film is getting a sequel after 22 years that will release in August, 2023. But to create hype for the film, the makers are re-releasing the 2001 film in theatres on June 9. Amrish Puri’s grandson Vardhan Puri is emotional and excited about it as he will get to hear his grandfather’s voice once again on the big screen.

Talking about Gadar’s re-release, Vardhan says, “It’s an absolute joyous moment to know that Gadar is re-releasing in theatres after 22 glorious years. It’s going to be something larger than life. Anil Sharma sir has re-mastered and reimagined the film in 4K and Dolby Atmos sound effect. That’s phenomenal. I cannot wait to watch the film in it’s renewed version with my family. It’s going to be overwhelming.”

Sharing his memory from the film’s premiere in 2001, the young actor revealed, “I still remember when we watched Gadar at a special preview in Mumbai, we were all short of words. It had released with ‘Lagaan’ which was also a great film. But the hysteria that Gadar had when it released was something special.”

Gadar depicted a romance between star-crossed lovers, set against the backdrop of the 1947 India-Pakistan partition. The film received a lot of love not only in India, but across the border as well. Reflecting on that, Vardhan says, “My grandfather received so much love and appreciation, not only from India but from all over the world, especially Pakistan. So I think the idea of re-releasing the film is very unique and I know it’s going to be a massive success because there are so many emotions that carry the film. It has got such a fabulous mass appeal. Every time I watch the film, I cannot help but feel supremely patriotic. There is such a strong sense of motherhood and patriotism.” 

Marking this occasion of Gadar’s re-release, director Anil Sharma shared the happy news with Amrish Puri’s family in a special way. Vardhan informs, “Anil Sharma sir has been a thorough gentleman as when they announced re-release of ‘Gadar’, he sent us a beautiful gift with a personalised letter attached and told us that ‘Gadar 2’ is incomplete without my grandfather but they could only make it because they have his blessings. So all respect to the Sharma family, Sunny Deol sir and Ameesha Patel ji. I wish them all the best.”

Talking about his excitement to watch his grandfather on the big screen again, Vardhan says ecstatically, “I want to watch my Dadu on screen once again as the powerful antagonist with a beating heart for his daughter. I can’t wait to hear his roaring voice in the theatres. When I watched ‘Gadar’ for the first time, I was a child, and for me at that point he was just my grandfather. Every time I saw the screen, I was only looking at him. This time it’s going to be very different and I am sure ‘Gadar 2’ is going to be very special because I know the impact that ‘Gadar’ had on our Indian society and all the NRIs who live across the world and whose hearts beat for India.”