Directed by Sharan Art and starring Tarsem Jassar, Gurpreet Ghuggi, Mark Bennington; Guru Nanak Jahaz is a historical drama that revisits an almost forgotten moment to remind us of the struggles of early migrants to Canada.
While Amrinder Gill’s directorial debut, Chhalla Mud Ke Nahi Aaya (2022) examined the many hurdles faced by the first wave of immigrants to Canada, this film examines the many struggles with government policies and the resilience of migrants in the face of it.
Guru Nanak Jahaz is set in 1914, at the cusp of the First World War and excavates a challenge posed by Indians to the Imperial powers. Although the first wave of Sikh immigrants arrived in Canada in the early 1900s, within a decade, the British government sought to thwart the immigration of Indians and the discriminatory act of ‘Continuous Passage’ was passed to dissuade any such attempts.
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Charged with a revolutionary spirit, a wealthy businessman Gurdit Singh (Gurpreet Ghuggi) embarked on a mission to challenge it and open up migration for Indians. A chartered Japanese ship, SS Komagata Maru made its fateful journey from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada, carrying 376 Indian passengers. Christened Guru Nanak Jahaz by Singh and imbued with a sense of hope and purpose, this is the story of the fateful journey.
A powerful retelling of a pivotal event, the film concentrates on the intricate web woven by the government to keep the immigrants out and the ways in which the passengers on the ship navigated it. In doing so, they were supported by their brethren in Vancouver, one of them being Mewa Singh (Tarsem Jassar). Caught between racist policies and propaganda that deemed the passengers as being ‘invaders’ who would take away jobs from the Canadians, the challenges proved too numerous for Guru Nanak Jahaz.
The strongest suit of the film undoubtedly is its art direction, costume and set design that create a visually cohesive historical atmosphere for the unfolding of the story. The sepia tint, muted colours, hair and make-up, draw from photographs of the incident to faithfully reproduce it on the big screen. Different Punjabi accents capture the diversity of the passengers from various parts of undivided Punjab and it is these nuances that make the film stand out.
While Guru Nanak Jahaz draws aces in terms of its research and immersiveness, it does not fare as well in the screenplay department. Written by Harnav Bir Singh and Sharan Art, the narrative gets too caught up in being faithful to history, sacrificing an engaging narrative at its altar. The film becomes entangled in the nitty-gritty of the actual developments, failing to provide many dramatic moments that will keep audiences engaged throughout the film. Mewa Singh’s character too needed to be better fleshed out.
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The heart-piercing “Be-Deshe”, sung by Ranjit Bawa and with lyrics by Jassar, is a Sufi inspired number that captures the yearning of the passengers waiting to embrace a hopeful future. The performances of the actors, especially Jassar, are noteworthy.
At the end of the film, Mewa Singh is asked, “Will they remember you”? As a powerful act of remembrance, the film reminds us that today’s Sikh immigrants stand on the shoulders of pioneers who carved the path before them. Building a bridge to present day Canada, Guru Nanak Jahaz urges us to rethink the issues plaguing migrants at a time when countries are increasingly closing their borders to them.
The Jassar-Art team has become a force to contend with in Punjabi cinema with their deep investment in history, and fidelity in bringing it to a wider audience. One waits to see what they will bring to the screens next.
Guru Nanak Jahaz movie cast: Tarsem Jassar, Gurpreet Ghuggi, Mark Bennington, Balwinder Bullet, Harsharan Singh
Guru Nanak Jahaz movie director: Sharan Art
Guru Nanak Jahaz movie rating: 4 stars
