Can 'The Sabarmati Report' Unravel the 22-Year-Old Mystery?" ((mage: Instagram/ektarkapoor)

The Sabarmati Report, an upcoming Hindi drama thriller film directed by Dheeraj Sarna, starring Vikrant Massey, Raashii Khanna, and Riddhi Dogra, just dropped the teaser today. Scheduled for release on November 15, the film is based on the 2002 Godhra train burning incident. Following the teaser release, audiences eagerly await the movie because of its gripping visuals with many praising the teaser as “intense” that the audience expects director Dheeraj Sarna to uncover the hidden truths behind the tragedy.

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Now, let’s understand the real story and why is it so important.

On February 27, 2002, a devastating incident shook India. The Sabarmati Express travelling from Ayodhya to Ahmedabad was set ablaze near Godhra railway station in Gujarat resulting in 59 deaths and numerous injuries. The victims were mostly Hindu pilgrims and karsevaks.

The incident occured when the train made a scheduled stop at Godhra around 7:43 am, four hours behind schedule. As the train began to leave the platform, someone pulled the emergency brake, causing it to stop near the signal point. A mob of around 2,000 people then attacked the train setting four coaches on fire.

Later, the Nanavati-Mehta Commission appointed by the Gujarat government stated that the fire was a pre-planned act of arson by a Muslim mob. Well there happened the twist, the Banerjee Commission, appointed by the central government, stated the fire was an accident. The trial court convicted 31 people including 11 sentenced to death and acquitted 63 others, as per reports. The Gujarat High Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment. Haji Bilal, the chief suspect and a local town councillor, was arrested and later acquitted while Maulvi Saeed Umarji, the alleged prime conspirator, was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

The Gujarat riots, which followed the incident, resulted in widespread violence and loss of life. The Gujarat government, under the leadership of then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and railways were ordered to pay Rs 10 lakh in compensation to the families of each of the 59 victims. Since this incident is something informed of potential communal violence, the audience anticipates how the director carries a fragile topic depicting its real story without losing the essence.

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The topic is very sensitive, and everyone is looking forward to witnessing how the story concludes, standing with any of the alleged sides. However, this incident has been the subject of various films and documentaries, including Chand Bujh Gaya (2005), Kai Po Che! (2013), Final Solution (2004), and now The Sabarmati Report (2024). The teaser release of The Sabarmati Report has now renewed interest in the incident raising questions about the truth behind the tragedy.