Deepa Mehta , a well known filmmaker, especially of the recently released 'Water', is keen on signing mega star Amitabh Bachchan and John Abraham in her next ambitious movie titled 'Komagata Maru'. This is going to be a movie based on a historical incident. Since Mehta is based in Canada though born in Punjab (India), she has undertaken this expensive venture in the memory of those who suffered in Canada during that period. The incident belongs to a racist and narrow-minded past that Canadians have not left far behind.
In the Spring of 1914, a committee of Sikhs chartered the steamer, the Kamagata Maru, to carry Indian emigrants to Canada. They had a sense of mission, and they called the steamer Guru Nanak Jahaz after the first Sikh Guru. The Komagata Maru arrived in Vancouver on May 23, 1914 with 376 passengers on board. With the exception of 20 returning residents and the ship's doctor and his family, none of the passengers was allowed to land. Instead, they were detained in Vancouver harbor. They remained on the ship for two months until July 23, 1914. When the passengers would not leave Canadian waters without provisions, Canadian officials tried to seize the ship by force. When that attempt failed, the Canadian government brought a navy cruiser with its guns exposed into Burrard Inlet and anchored it broadside to the Komagata Maru.
In this atmosphere, the passengers negotiated their departure. Only when the Canadian government agreed to provision their return voyage did they consent to leave without ever putting a foot ashore in Canada. In India, the Komagata Maru represents the Indian people's struggle for independence from the British Empire. In Canada, it is a reminder of a policy of exclusion that for Sikhs and other immigrants from India, lasted more than half a century. The Sikh community has survived and prospered in Canada, despite the prejudice and hostility that the Komagata Maru story typifies. The community has emerged in the 1980's with a positive and confident outlook. In a more tolerant Canada, the Komagata Maru remains a powerful symbol for Sikhs, one that other Canadians should understand because it is a part of our history.
Deepa Mehta says that Amitabh Bachchan alone fits the bill for the hero of 'Komagata Maru', and she is determined to sign him. Besides, she wants to repeat John Abraham in this movie as she is very much impressed with his performance in her recently released 'Water'.
