The
Sabarmati
Report
is
so
flimsy
in
its
execution,
taking
offence
to
it
would
be
dignifying
its
existence,
notes
Sukanya
Verma.
News
is
the
truth
that
you
choose
to
bring
out,
a
cunning
television
journalist
tells
her
artless
subordinate
early
on
in
The
Sabarmati
Report.
She’s
the
villain
of
the
piece
for
concealing
inconvenient
realities
and
conveying
only
what
suits
her
purpose
and
politics.
Funny
how
The
Sabarmati
Report‘s
poorly
crafted
propaganda
masquerading
as
a
crusade
for
justice
is
nothing
but
a
blatant
embodiment
of
these
very
ideals.
Directed
by
Dheeraj
Sarna
(after
he
took
over
from
its
original
director
Ranjit
Chandel
over
differences
in
creative
vision),
this
is
an
embarrassing
work
of
bias
inspired
by
the
horrific
events
of
February
27,
2002
when
a
fire
in
a
train
compartment
of
the
Sabarmati
Express
killed
59
kar
sevaks
returning
from
Ayodhya
at
the
Godhra
railway
station
in
Gujarat.
Accident
or
attack,
the
debate
raged
on
in
the
face
of
its
violent
aftermath
as
communal
riots
claimed
innumerable
lives.
Lack
of
accountability,
administrative
failure,
blame
game,
conspiracy
theories,
delay
in
courtroom
verdicts,
media’s
tamasha
and
talk
of
external
hand,
the
usual
drama
dogged
this
dark
chapter
of
Indian
history.
Where
sensitive
movies
like
Parzania
and
Firaaq
attempt
to
depict
the
trauma
caused
by
the
tragedy,
The
Sabarmati
Report,
dedicated
to
the
lives
lost
in
the
incident,
spends
all
its
time
pointing
fingers
at
one
side
and
entirely
absolving
another.
Across
a
timeline
shifting
between
2002,
2007
and
2017,
a
grievous
scenario
cuts
to
a
courtroom
trial
where
Vikrant
Massey,
playing
a
Hindi
speaking
journalist,
indicts
media
barons
of
twisting
facts.
Most
of
the
movie
is
a
flashback
of
his
so-called
investigative
journey
distracted
by
moments
of
him
showing
off
a
strictly
Kapil
Sharma
brand
of
humour
around
a
girlfriend
he
gets
dumped
by
when
unsettling
information
concerning
the
Godhra
fire
comes
his
way
or
a
fellow
colleague
(Raashi
Khanna)
sharing
his
enthusiasm
for
reporting
reality.
Both
of
them
are
up
against
a
sassy,
star
anchor
(Riddhi
Dogra)
with
an
attitude
that
would
look
right
at
home
in
season
two
of
Call
Me
Bae.
All
three
are
fine
actors,
especially
in
their
conviction
to
convey
such
incredible
hogwash
with
such
credible
straight
face.
Though
the
movie
insists
it
doesn’t
distinguish
between
the
two
religious
communities,
its
narrative
makes
it
loud
and
clear
who
it
deems
guilty
and
whose
side
it
is
on.
Where
the
minority
is
the
face
of
stone-pelting,
mischief-mongering,
‘padosi
mulk‘
cheering,
terrorism
breeding
aggression,
the
rest
are
either
victims
or
an
Opposition
plotting
against
those
in
power.
It’s
what
makes
the
script’s
short-lived
bouts
of
conscience,
before
it
goes
back
to
its
appeasing
ways,
all
the
more
laughable.
Both
the
timing
of
its
release,
amidst
the
bustle
of
the
elections,
and
its
lopsided
tone
resisting
any
room
for
nuance
or
doubt,
opens
with
chants
of
‘Ram
Ram’
and
concludes
with
chants
of
‘Ram
Ram’
against
a
visual
of
the
newly
constructed
Ram
Mandir.
For
all
its
audacity,
The
Sabarmati
Report
is
so
flimsy
in
its
execution,
taking
offence
to
it
would
be
dignifying
its
existence.
All
the
continuity
blunders
on
display
in
Vikrant
Massey’s
changing
hair
and
stubble
only
suggest
this
pitiable
project
produced
by
Balaji
Films
is
a
confused
double
agent
that
started
out
hoping
to
be
a
bold
whistleblower
but
settled
to
become
an
appeaser
for
the
regime
in
reign.
The
Sabarmati
Report
Review
Rediff
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