There are a few traits of most Indian films that turn it from potentially mediocre into full blown garbage. Some of these traits are: unnecessary humor interested in crucial moments just for the sake of it, overtly emotional background score letting the audience know that they’re supposed to feel sad, silly slow motion shots, a ‘love story’ that isn’t required but forced because, ‘what’s a film with a love story, right?’ All of this is true for The Sabarmati Report ; a film whose original director exited the project because he wasn’t happy with its creative direction, and now we can understand why. Firstly, making a film about a sensitive subject like the Godhra train burning – a planned incident that led to even more violence – is quite impossible in India because it will hurt sentiments of people across the nation, who would then protest and demand it be banned.
And, as a result, we rarely see films dealing with sensitive or controversial incidents that have transpired across Indian history. Juxtapose this with the kind of historical dramas that are made in other free nations of the world, where people are capable of having a discussion or thinking for their own self rather than jumping onto the streets to light public property on fire. This holds back filmmakers and producers, especially in the mainstream, from tackling any controversial subjects.
And, when they do tackle a controversial subject, they aren’t really committed. Their attempts are half-b.