Amitabh Bachchan as the revolutionary Gurdit Singh 22nd Apr 2006
18.30 IST
By Nikhil Kumar
If things go as planned, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan will play the role of the lesser-known Indian revolutionary Gurdit Singh in Deepa Mehta’s next movie.
Much has already been written about Deepa Mehta ’s project based on the ship Komagata Maru’s voyage from India to Canada and then back home in the year 1914.
The movie, titled ‘Exclusion’, tells the tale of Indians who fled the country and sailed for Canada to escape persecution at the hands of the British in the early 20th century when India was still under the British rule. It was a voyage marked with tragedy. The Indians on the ship, Komagata Maru, weren’t allowed to enter Canada. A legal battle followed, which the Indians lost. Dejected and homeless, the ship sailed back to India. Upon reaching India the ship came under fire from the British forces.
The voyage was carried under the leadership of Gurdit Singh, the protagonist of Mehta’s movie.
Mehta has already expressed her desire to sign Amitabh Bachchan for the role, and the superstar too has expressed his interest in the project but has yet to give his nod.
Mehta has even gone to the extent of saying that no one except Mr. Bachchan can play Singh’s role in the movie.