Twenty-five years after its release, filmmaker Anil Sharma reflects on the success of Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, saying it had the potential to become India's biggest hit film from the start. The film, starring Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, and Amrish Puri, released alongside Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India on June 15, 2001.
Sharma credits the film's writer, Shaktimaan Talwar, for narrating a story that had the potential to become a massive hit. He aimed to make Gadar in the same league as his favorite films, Mother India, Mughal-e-Azam, and Sholay, and it achieved that goal.
The film's success was not limited to its box office performance, with a footfall of 10 crore, a record that still stands today. Gadar 2 had half of this footfall, and Sharma reveals that he is working on the script for Gadar 3, with plans to start production next year if everything goes as planned.
Sharma also shares his experiences shooting in Lucknow, where the iconic handpump scene was filmed at La Martiniere College, and the Pakistan portion was shot. He believes that Lucknow played an important role in the film's success and will continue to do so in the future.
Sharma has started shooting for Arjun Naga but has not made an official announcement yet.
