Celebrated film producer Ekta Kapoor on Wednesday described her latest movie, The Sabarmati Report, as a "factual film" based on "true events". Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kapoor said, "Such esteemed personalities are watching the movie today. I am happy as well as nervous. But this film has been made from the heart. It is a factual film, based on true events. I think people will like it."
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Minister of State Suresh Gopi attended a special screening of the film earlier in the day, joined by Kapoor and other dignitaries.
The movie, which hit theatres on November 15, delves into the 2002 Godhra train burning incident in Gujarat. On February 27, 2002, 59 people, mostly karsevaks, lost their lives when the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express was set on fire near Godhra station, an event that triggered widespread riots across the state.
In a significant endorsement, The Sabarmati Report was declared tax-free in Chhattisgarh by the state's BJP government on Tuesday. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced the decision, noting that the film, in which actor Vikrant Massey portrays a journalist, would be exempt from entertainment tax. Chhattisgarh is the second BJP-ruled state, after Madhya Pradesh, to make the movie tax-free.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was Gujarat Chief Minister at the time of the Godhra incident, praised the film. On Sunday, Modi wrote on X, "A fake narrative can persist only for a limited period of time," reacting to a post applauding the film for "bringing out the important truth of one of the most shameful events in our recent history."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also lauded the film, calling it a courageous revelation. "The Sabarmati Report defies the ecosystem with unparalleled courage and exposes the truth behind the fateful episode to broad daylight. No matter how hard a powerful ecosystem tries, it cannot keep the truth hidden in darkness forever," Shah wrote on X.
The Sabarmati Report performed well on its first 5 days at the box office and earned an estimated Rs 8.75 crore. On Sunday, the film earned Rs 3 crore, showing a slight increase from Saturday's earnings of Rs 2.1 crore, and an improvement from the opening day's collection of Rs 1.25 crore. On Monday, the movie earned Rs 1.15 crore while this figure was slightly better on Tuesday (Rs 1.25 crore).
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