ACTOR Sunny Deol says his upcoming film Batwara 1947 would make audiences realise "there is nothing greater than humanity", as he urged young people to watch the film to understand the human cost of Partition. Deol, along with actors Preity Zinta and his son Karan Deol, was in Lucknow recently to promote the film, which is scheduled to release on August 14. The film, produced by Aamir Khan Productions and directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi, is based on Asghar Wajahat's play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya O Jamyai Nai. Clarifying the film is different from his 2001 blockbuster Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, which was also set against the backdrop of India-Pakistan relations and Partition, Deol said the earlier film was primarily a love story. "Gadar was a beautiful love story set in the period when Partition took place. But it was completely a love story," he said. Batwara 1947 is based on the novel Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya O Jamyai Nai, which Santoshi has adapted for the screen," Deol said during an interaction with the media. "If you liked the trailer, I can only say that you will like the film as well," he added. Recalling his association with Santoshi, Deol said their collaboration started with Ghayal and continued with Damini and Ghatak.

 

"Raj Santoshi and I have worked well together. Our journey started with Ghayal, which led to Damini and then Ghatak. Because of these three films, we are together even today and that is why we are able to do a fourth film together," he said. Deol said each of their earlier collaborations had different characters and stories, and Batwara 1947 was similarly a distinct story. "It is a film that all children and today’s youth should watch. They will learn what happened to families during Partition, at a time when people did not even understand what was happening to them. After watching this film, you will be convinced there is nothing greater than humanity in this world," he said. Zinta, who is returning to films after an eight-year gap, said Batwara 1947 was different from her 2004 critically and commercially acclaimed Veer-Zaara, despite both involving India-Pakistan themes. "The film was a love story and this is a family film, centred around the story of a family," she said. Zinta said returning to films had been a "very pleasant experience", particularly because she was working again with Deol. She said she felt "at home" while working on the film and had spent the intervening years focusing on other aspects of her life, including focusing on her sports ventures. Batwara 1947 also features Shabana Azmi, Ali Fazal and Abhimanyu Singh, among others. It is slated to release on August 14.