Road to Sangam

About the film

Road to Sangam is a 2010 Bollywood film written and directed by Amit Rai. The film features Bollywood actors Paresh Rawal, Om Puri and Pawan Malhotra.

Road to Sangam is a simple story of a God fearing, devout Muslim mechanic named Hasmat Ullah (Paresh Rawal) who has been entrusted with 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.

Plot

Hashmatullah (Hashmat) is a God-fearing, devout Muslim mechanic of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. He is to repair an old Ford V8 lorry engine, the historic significance he is unaware -– it carried the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi after Gandhi's assassination in 1948. As part of the funerary celebration, the ashes were immersed in the holy Triveni Sangam, Allahabad, divided into 20 portions, sent to different provinces of India, brought back, and then dispersed in Triveni Sangam.

One of the portions is found years later forgotten in the Orissa State Bank. Gandhi's grandson makes an application to the Orissa High Court for their return. The government honours Gandhi by having the ashes repeat the procession of 1948. The original lorry is found, a news channel reporter visits, and Hashmat learns about the historic significance of the engine he is to repair.

There has been a terrorist bomb blast in three court houses of Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh Police arrests suspects who have links with the terror organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen) and the Muslim neighbourhood of Allahabad, where Hashmat lives. Hashmat is General Secretary of the Managing Committee of the main Mosque of Allahabad (Masjid-e-Azam). The Mosque Committee protests at the court house the arrests of the suspects. Protestors enter the court despite the beatings by the police with canes (lathi charge).

Awards and accolades

9th Annual International Film Festival (South Africa), 2 – 8 November 2009 - (best first film director)

5th Annual Macon Film Festival (US), 17 – 21 February 2010 - (best film)

11th Annual MAMI (Mumbai Film Festival) (India), 29 October – 5 November 2009 - (audience choice)

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. Actor Vijay Vidyadhar Mishra also composed three songs with taking name of "Vinay" He also sung a Kawwali in this film. 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.

Key details