Chandigarh 16 Feb 2015:Nanak Shah Fakir, the film has been a meditation of each waking day that began as a dream I saw one particular night. Ever since then, almost each day of being on the sets has been a journey worth preserving in the vaults of memory. The extraordinary experiences have left us all overwhelmed and deeply humbled. While some have been recorded on reel, others are embedded in the heart, forever.
In one way, just calling out the name of the film (which would be numerous times in the day) felt as if the rosary beads were being rolled on the fingertips by the soul within. The film couldn’t have been made without the Almighty’s blessings.
Nanak Shah Fakir is named after and on the life and teachings of Guru Nanak. Born in 1469 A.D. Nanak traveled the world to spread the essence of ‘Ik Onkar’ (there’s but One God) as a philosophy and way of life. A philosophy that has survived and risen above the flux of conflict and time, impacting over 50 million followers worldwide and giving birth to ‘SIKHISM’ as a way of life. (‘Sikh’ signifies a disciple).
Throughout his life, Guru Nanak shared his blessings of divine knowledge through mystic and soulfully divine music. He sang to the Lord and taught us, ordinary mortals, the virtues of peace, love and harmony. Guru Nanak was referred to as ‘Shah’ by the Muslims and ‘Fakir’ by the Hindus, the highest honor given in both religions and hence came to be known as ‘Nanak Shah Fakir’.
INDIA DURING NANAK’s BIRTH:At the time of Guru Nanak’s birth, India was torn and tormented by extreme violence. Hindustan was under the spell of its darkest phase. As is often said that dawn comes after the darkest hour, Guru Nanak’s birth was that dawn awaking humankind along the way.
‘Nanak Shah Fakir’ the film, follows the great saint on an epic journey across the globe, spreading the Lord’s message of equality, peace and ‘Ik Onkar’. It’s a first-of-its-kind film in about 600 years of Sikh history, and has been depicted through the voice of his friend, companion and disciple ‘Bhai Mardana’, a Muslim Fakir.
Keeping in with the tradition, Guru Nanak has been portrayed through computer graphics, from the back and amidst a ray of light. Music plays the most prominent role as his songs (Shabads as they are known) have been used in most places instead of dialogues. The beauty is that the musical instruments used during recording were similar to those used in 1400-1500 A.D.
Resul Pookutty (Oscar winner) designed the sound. Tuomas Kantelinen (of Hollywood fame) worked tirelessly to produce mesmerising score. AR Rahman (two-time Oscar winner) stood rock-solid as guide, score mentor and the ‘Presenter’. Uttam Singh composed the soulful music, while shabads have been sung by legendary Padma awardees, Pt. Jasraj and Bhai Nirmal Singh.
The film has been appreciated by critics for its all-round production value, cinematography and historic content at the Cannes in May 2014, at the Sikh Film Festival at Toronto in Oct 2014 and at the Sikhlens Film Festival at Chapman University, California in Nov 2014.
The purpose of the film is to take forward Guru Nanak’s message which is also an urgent need of the hour, given that vested interests and fanaticism of a few is deflating the spirit of the whole of humanity.
The film being a divine gift, we pledge all proceeds from this film for good causes, and in helping reinstate the pious teachings of Guru Nanak.
Cast & Crew Of Movie:
Starring: Arif Zakaria, Ms. Puneet Sikka, Adil Hussain, Ms. Shraddha Kaul, Anurag Arora, Narendra Jha, Govind Pandey.
Producer – Harinder Sikka
Director – Harinder Singh Sikka
Music Director – Uttam Singh
Writer – Prof. Amrit Basra, Delhi University Researcher Bhai Veer Singh Sadan
Screenplay By – AK Bir, Harinder Sikka
Dialogue artist-Arif Zakaria
Dialogue written by– Harinder Singh Sikka
Music on Saga Music
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