Director Harry Baweja is coming up with Chaar Sahibzaade, an animation film that will break new ground
A journey that all the four members of the family initiate together, an experience that touches all of them differently, a destination that they reach and a story that they will be sharing together; a story of four brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice — is the story of Chaar Sahibzaade.
Director Harry Baweja, creative producer Harman Baweja and producer Pammi Baweja, along with her daughter, reveal more about the film in Chandigarh on Saturday.
The film reveals some intriguing, unknown facts about Sikh history and will be released in Punjabi, Hindi, English, among other Indian and foreign languages. Chaar Sahibzaade is about the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs.
As the interaction rolls, the director is first to take the mike. "It took me almost five years to bring the story alive for the audience. It is a story that I had heard in my childhood and something that I wanted to work on," says Harry Baweja, who has done a good deal of research on this project. The five years time for the project validates it. "We consulted every historian for the project."
The film is an animation, something which is in the nascent stage in India and unheard of in Punjabi films. "I agree, animation is in an initial stage, but then someone had to do it. We couldn't have anyone play the Gurus or any other character, so it was animation," adds Harry Baweja, who hands the mike to the handsome man sitting next to man. Now, this man has been news for some debacles and link-ups. Nevertheless, actor Harman Baweja comes across as a warm person totally engrossed in the project. He is the creative producer and he has taken this role seriously. "This topic came up at the dinner table when my father expressed his desire to make an animation film on this subject. The entire family was with him and this is how we are part of the project."
The creative producer has virtually turned their office into a Sikh history library. "We took care of every little detail, from the costumes of the sahibzaade, their armour; in fact we had everything checked from the SGPC so that nothing would go wrong, no fact misinterpreted," adds the actor whom you might not recognise in the first go, as his full grown beard covers his chiselled face. Laughs Harman, as he jokes about how his father has actually made him work like an assistant director, "I was not the creative producer for him. I gave my inputs, the final say was, however, his; I guess that's how fathers are," passing the mike to his mother, who in her warm voice talks about the film being an experience.
Another actor, who makes a blink and miss appearance in the interaction, Amrinder Gill, has sung the track Mitar Pyaare Nu in the film. "Singing in a film like this is an experience in itself; it not only cleanses my throat but also the soul." Amrinder Gill is also promoting his upcoming film Happy Go Lucky, produced by Pammi Baweja and directed by Amarpreet GS Chabbra. The music director is Jatinder Shah. The film also stars Harish Verma. After the success of Goreyan Nu Daffa Karo, all eyes have turned to Amrinder. "I try and make every film a new project, and I try to bring in a different element in it. With HGL, I am trying to do the same, you will not find Kala of GNDK in this film," adds Amrinder.