EXCLUSIVE: Anil Sharma on train scene in Gadar, “I should NOT have done that as a director and father”

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Anil Sharma admitted that that particular scene from Gadar: Ek Prem Katha still frightens him.

Anil Sharma is currently enjoying the success of Gadar 2, which has become a blockbuster. In an exclusive video interview with Bollywood Hungama, he recalled the first film in the franchise Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) and revealed the scene that was the most difficult for him. It was the moment during the pre-climax where Sunny Deol and others are running on top of a moving train and Sharma’s son Utkarsh, who played Sunny’s son in the film, is tied on Sunny’s shoulder.

EXCLUSIVE: Anil Sharma on train scene in Gadar, “I should NOT have done that as a director and father”

Recalling that moment, Sharma said, “I shut my eyes while the scene was getting shot. The train was running at 40 km per hour speed. Sunny and others had to run on top of the train and jump from one bogie to another. Utkarsh was on Sunny’s shoulder. There were suggestions about keeping any other child in place of Utkarsh. But anyone else’s kid is also a kid. We then thought of tying a dummy but that would have easily been spotted. After gaining a lot of strength, I decided to go with Utkarsh. His mother always used to be on the set but on that day, I asked her to come late.”

But even after taking the decision, Sharma was not at peace. “I started wondering what I have done,” he added. “The kid is on Sunny’s shoulder and in case his leg slips, anything can happen. I had a lot of such thoughts. The shot commenced and my eyes got shut in fear. I opened my eyes when I heard the sound of train stopping. The action director okayed the shot. I was asking myself what I have done.”

Despite all going well, Sharma regrets the scene. “As a director and father, I shouldn’t have done that,” he recalled. “It was too risky. As soon as the shot got over, I saw Sunny sir getting a jerk and sitting on the train with Utkarsh. Somewhere, his leg would have trembled, so he sat down. As it was Sunny, I left it to him. But this was my life’s biggest risk. Whenever I see that shot, I get a bit scared thinking what have I done. As a director, I have taken a lot of risks in my life in Gadar and also in Shradhanjali. I am a stupid guy when I am a director. I sometimes do these bloody stupid things due to the excitement and passion for cinema.”

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