Animating Sikh history his passion
Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, May 9
He has entrusted upon himself the task of taking rich Sikh history to every household through his animation films. Sukhwinder Singh, a Mohali-based IT professional jumped into the world of movie making six years ago and has already produced four films.
For seeing himself achieve this mission, he spent millions taking personal loans, borrowing money from friends and even taking out money from his IT firm’s profit. He is now the proud director of four animation films on the Sikh history, including “Sahibzaade”, ‘Rise of Khalsa”, “Sundri” and “Bhai Taru Singh Ji”.
All his animation films have run packed houses whenever these were screened in different parts of the world, but except “Sahibzaade” all his ventures went into losses thanks to the flourishing of piracy business. Sukhwinder Singh is in city these days for the screening of “Bhai Taru Singh”, an animation movie on a great Sikh martyr. He was overwhelmed with the response when he screened the movie at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan last evening.
‘‘People have liked our animations. And we are also improving with every new production. Though it is very difficult to attract people for a religious film these days, I hope we convey a subtle message and inculcate Sikhism values among Sikhs with our effort, ’’ he added.
Having spent $255,000 on the production of “Bhai Taru Singh”, Sukhwinder said he did not want any profit from the movie. ‘‘All I want is that the money spent is returned. So that I can invest it in the next movie. Our money returned from “Sahibzaade” but not from the other two. We are keeping our fingers crossed for “Bhai Taru Singh”, so that we are able to fund our next project,’’ he added.
Sukhwinder was just like an IT professional till five years ago. One day he decided to bring about inspiring stories of Sikhs for the new generation. When his mind was working on it, he saw his son watch an animated cartoon again and again. ‘‘There I was, I told myself, had to prepare an animation. Since northern region did not have animation experts at that time, I had to go down South to get a movie produced. But we did not look back after that, ’’ he recalled.
He is pained to see that youth has lost touch with history. ‘‘They do not know our religion teaches a lesson of universal brotherhood, compassion and values. We are aping the west and it hurts me when I sit with myself. My effort is to reconnect these youths so that the world realises why the Khalsa was created by the gurus,’’ he remarks.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥