As Anil Sharma’s Gadar: Ek Prem Katha approaches its 25th anniversary, the cast Ameesha Patel the film has reflected the unprecedented success and immense love it received from audiences across borders. The actress, who immortalized the character of Sakina opposite Sunny Deol’s Tara Singh, revealed that the film’s impact was so great that several parents named their daughters after her iconic character.In a recent interview with NDTV, Ameesha recalled the response she received from Pakistan after the release of Gadar: Ek Prem Katha in 2001.“I got the biggest fan base in Pakistan because of Gaddar, and I used to call women as my secretary. Somehow getting the numbers, the elderly women called and said, ‘Kya Ameesha ji, Pakistan ko apne rula diya, Sakina ne rula diya,'” she said.The actress further revealed that many parents were very moved by the film and Sakina’s portrayal.“Then the parents would call and say humne apne beti ka naam Sakina rakh diya hai. They loved Gadar,” he added.
“I didn’t have time to digest how successful he was”
Looking back at the film’s historic theatrical run, Ameesha said the scale of Gadar’s success was unlike anything she had seen before.“It became the biggest hit on the first day of release because it opened 100% across India, on a single screen. It was lapped up. It was a single screen audience,” he recalled.The actor admitted that he was juggling several projects at the time and was unable to fully process the phenomenon that Gadar had become.“It was so intense at that time, because the actors were doing five films a year at the same time. So I was juggling from set to set of other films. And I didn’t have time to digest what a terrible, terrible blow it had become,” he said.
Ameesha Patel compares the footprints of the Gadar franchise with Dhurandhar
Gadar: With Ek Prem Katha nearing its silver jubilee, Ameesha expressed gratitude for being a part of one of the most successful franchises in Indian cinema.Reflecting on the success of the two Gadar films, he said the franchise continues to enjoy equal popularity among moviegoers.“We’ve come to this journey 25 years later, and we’re still iconic. And we had a second part that created a tsunami at the box office and became iconic,” he said.Ameesha further said that the combined theatrical bases of Gadar and Gadar 2 surpass that of the Dhurandhar franchise.“Combined, Gadar 1 and Gadar 2 have the highest footfalls, more than Dhurandhar 1 and 2. By footfall alone, that means the number of people who actually entered theaters to watch both the films. It’s very satisfying,” he said.
“Even today it feels surreal playing Sakina”
The actress said she feels blessed to have been chosen to portray Sakina, a character that continues to resonate with audiences decades later.“Thanking my audience, God and the opportunity to play Sakina, my most cherished character and the toughest at that time, because I was too raw. It feels surreal,” concluded Ameesha.
