A story that made the makers cry!

Mona

For director Omung Kumar, real challenge lies in transforming his actors into characters. He successfully turned Priyanka Chopra into very convincing Mary Kom; and going by the trailers of Sarabjit, it looks like he has repeated the feat with Randeep Hooda. Another biopic by Omung and he is confident of having told the truth through his film that needs to reach people.

In Chandigarh on Tuesday with his entourage minus the lead actors, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Randeep Hooda, team Sarabjit opened up on the intense experience that the film has been.

Casting call

Aishwarya is one beauty, who will shine regardless where she is or what she wears. So, how he chose her to play Dalbir Kaur, a village woman who launched the countrywide campaign to save her brother? “I wanted an actor who could essay a character that grows from young to old. And doesn’t she look phenomenal as Dalbir,” asks Omung. For Randeep, not only he was on the director’s mind but was Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur’s suggestion too. “When I met Randeep, I told him point blank that I needed to see his bones. He went out for 15 minutes and then committed to play the part.”

Omung insists that Randeep looks like real Sarabjit, “So much so that that the posters in film were mistaken to have Sarabjit’s photos while it is actually Randeep all the way.”

A sister tells

Making a biopic doesn’t come easy, for there are different versions to each story. For the flick, it’s Dalbir Kaur’s version, a sister’s fight to save her brother who accidentally crossed border. “I saw Dalbir Kaur’s videos on Youtube and I wondered who this fiery woman is, and wanted to tell her story. I go in minute details and it has been a heartrending experience,” admits Omung, on how Dalbir and he along with his writers would break into tears and had to take frequent breaks to regain their composure while scripting. However, a film cannot be a tearjerker for the entire length (2 hour 12 minute, this one). “There are celebrations, humour and five points where I will make you cry. I will give you time to eat your popcorns too,” says the poised director.

Shades of emotion

Richa Chadha, who plays Sarabjit’s wife Sukhpreet, feels grateful to be part of this intense journey. “There is a whole arc in this character form a young carefree girl to the end where tragedy strikes.” Looking, ravishing in her off-shoulder top with white palazzos, earrings glittering in camera lights, she opens up on how she has nothing against playing commercial heroine dancing around in minis. “What I can’t be is just a prop. And, when you are getting roles like this, it would be foolish to let them go.” Not going by the labels that she believes is media concoctions, Richa loves playing a Punjabi, “I am Chadha you see,” says the actor-turned-producer.

Prepped up

For Darshan Kumar, it is his second with Omung and he essays a role of a Pakistani lawyer who helped Sarabjit and his family. While he dug information from the book Sarabjit Singh: A Case of Mistaken Identity, for mannerism, he banked on his interactions with Pakistanis when he visited across border.

Jackky’s mission

Jackky Bhagnani has come on board as a producer of Sarabjit. “If any innocent are spared the cruel fate that awaits in foreign prisons, we will deem our effort successful,” says Jackky hinting on more meaningful cinema from their banner.

Gear up for Sarabjit’s release on May 20

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