Ameesha Patel has revealed how her family history helped shape her emotional attachment to ‘Gadar’ as the film completes 25 years. The actress said that both sides of her family bear direct links to Partition and India’s freedom struggle, making Sakina’s story deeply personal.
Her maternal family has roots in Lahore and Karachi, while her paternal grandparents played active roles in preserving and supporting the Indian independence movement.
Amisha Patel reveals her family Partition connection
Speaking exclusively to Variety India, Patel said that her mother’s Sindhi family came from Lahore and Karachi before moving to India. Her maternal grandfather harbored an abiding longing for the places the family had left behind.“There was always this passion that my maternal grandfather felt until his last day,” Patel said.Her paternal family also had strong ties to the freedom struggle. Patel said her grandmother, Sushila Gokhale Patel, helped establish the Gandhi museums at Mani Bhavan in Mumbai and Gandhi Bhavan in New Delhi before donating them to the government of India. Her grandfather Rajni Patel was Congress president and was imprisoned during the freedom movement.Patel added that her paternal grandmother initially opposed her decision to enter films.
However, her reaction changed after Patel explained the issue of ‘Gaddar’. “When I told her about Gadar, she was very proud,” the actor said.
Why did Gaddar feel close to Ameesha Patel?
Patel played Sakina, a young woman whose life changes during Partition before starting a family with Tara Singh, played by Sunny Deol. She said the role required her to understand the emotional journey of a person displaced from her home and country.The actor started shooting for ‘Gadar’ while he was still working on ‘Kaho Na… Pyaar Hai’.
Her first scene showed Sakina confronting her father Ashraf Ali, played by the late Amrish Puri.Patel said she had to imagine Sakina’s entire life before filming many of the earlier scenes. The challenge was greater because she was still new to acting.She also described “Gadar” as a “painful and deeply honest love story.” According to Patel, the film’s lasting appeal comes from Tara and Sakina’s innocence, vulnerability and dedication.She believes Partition stories work when filmmakers deal with the subject matter sincerely rather than using history as a gimmick. For Patel, Gadar remains connected not only to cinema, but also to her family’s past.
