Punjab: Echoes of freedom fade as Hussainiwala light & sound show stalls post flood
The iconic light and sound show at the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala has remained non-operational for nearly 22 months, leaving visitors and locals disheartened.
Launched in November 2021 under the central government's Swadesh Darshan initiative, the 41-minute audio-visual production, costing ₹5.7 crore, aimed to honour freedom fighters, like Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. The show used state-of-the-art projections and sound to narrate the story of India's independence struggle, drawing tourists from across Punjab and beyond.
'Initially a daily feature, the show came to an abrupt halt in August 2023 when monsoon-driven flooding from the Sutlej river severely impacted the venue. Essential hardware, particularly five high-powered projectors crucial for the presentation, suffered significant damage,' said Ashish Sharma, an advocate.
Meanwhile, an official familiar with the matter stated three of the five projectors are beyond repair and require expert evaluation to determine if replacements can be sourced. The project was managed by Tricolor India Schauspiel Pvt Ltd which signed a five-year maintenance contract. However, the company declined to cover repair expenses, citing the flood as a natural disaster not covered under its obligations.
'Neither the authorities nor the firm has taken concrete steps toward restoration,' said former Congress MLA Parminder Singh Pinki. 'It's unfortunate that it lies neglected,' he added.
The silence at the memorial has disappointed the increasing number of summer tourists. 'We travelled from Ludhiana to experience this show but found only silence,' said Rajeev Sharma, a visitor.
'Once a magnet for visitors, the show highlighted the sacrifices of revolutionaries including BK Dutt, Chandra Shekhar Azad and Lala Lajpat Rai. Reviving the attraction would not only boost tourism but also serve as an educational legacy for future generations,' quoted Gurtej Singh Koharwala, an educationist.
Ferozepur deputy commissioner Deepshikha Sharma claimed that the Punjab tourism department was in the process of getting it operational. State tourism director Sanjeev Tiwari, when contacted, acknowledged the issue and promised prompt intervention to resolve the matter swiftly.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
16 hours ago
- India Today
Aandhi: A cinematic storm that echoed Indira's era
In this week's Retro Review, we dive into 'Aandhi', a bold political satire that stirred controversy for its striking parallels to Indira Gandhi. A timeless tale of ambition, love, and sacrifice, it remains a cinematic Review: Aandhi (1975)Cast: Sanjeev Kumar, Suchitra Sen, Om Prakash, AK Hangal, Om ShivpuriDirector: GulzarMusic/Lyrics: RD Burman, GulzarBox-Office Status: HitWhere to Watch: YouTubeWhy to Watch: For its poignant portrayal of politics' toll on personal livesMoral of the Story: Kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehnaadvertisementFormer Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi devoted an hour every morning to yoga. She spent almost an equivalent amount of time with her stylist every week. The combination of the two gave her a distinct personality, highlighted by a slender physique, brisk walk, crisp sarees, and a hairstyle with a signature streak of the 1970s, Mrs Gandhi (as she was known worldwide) was at the peak of her popularity. The victory over Bangladesh, and her 'garibi hatao' campaign had endeared her to the masses and the classes. Even the opposition hailed her as an avatar of Durga. Photo: IMDb advertisement Film-maker Gulzar saw in Indira's unique persona and soaring popularity an opportunity to craft a political satire. The outcome was 'Aandhi', a film that suffered the highs and lows of the character that inspired has said many times the film was not based on Indira Gandhi's life. Only the lead character, Aarti Devi, was inspired by her, and Tarkeshwari Sinha, a popular Parliamentarian from Patna. But at the time of 'Aandhi's' release, the film was marketed as an Indira Gandhi biopic, with posters exhorting the audience to come and watch 'their PM on the screen.'The strategy, initially successful, backfired when Mrs Gandhi's opponents started screening some of the scenes in 'Aandhi' to tarnish her image during elections for the Gujarat assembly, fought in the heat of the Navnirman on a complaint filed by the Congress, the Election Commission banned 'Aandhi', 24 weeks after its initial release. Soon after, on June 26, 1975, Indira Gandhi's firm voice crackled through All India Radio, announcing the imposition of the Emergency. The film, thus, was indelibly linked with Mrs Gandhi, and the excesses of the Emergency that coincided with the PLOT'Aandhi's' narrative unfolds with a delicate balance of personal drama and political intrigue, centred on Aarti Devi (Suchitra Sen), a charismatic yet embattled politician whose chance reunion with her estranged husband, JK (Sanjeev Kumar), forces her to confront the sacrifices her ambition has demanded. Sanjeev Kumar and Suchitra Sen in a still from 'Aandhi'. (Photo: Facebook/FilmHistoryPic) While Aarti navigates the deluge of emotions from the past, an election unfolds, with all its trickery and subterfuge. Unable to match her aura and sharp moves, the opposition attacks Aarti's personal tongues, like they always do, begin to wag with rumours, snide remarks and salacious gossip. But, with a bold move at the end, Aarti stuns her critics, stealing the show, literally, from their own narrative similarities with Indira Gandhi are hard to miss. Her father, India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, wasn't happy with her marriage to Feroze Gandhi, a Parsi. The marriage was solemnised with Vedic rituals, at Nehru's Gandhi, a dynamic politician and journalist, maintained an independent identity. Elected to the Lok Sabha from Rae Bareli in 1952 and 1957, he often sparred with the government. In 1958, he famously uncovered the LIC scandal, which implicated the relationship with Indira was complex, marked by periods of strain. Burdened with contradictions, the alliance didn't last long. Indira Gandhi soon shifted to her father's home with her sons Rajiv and 'Aandhi', Aarti's complex marriage with JK, who has an independent spirit, mirrors the Indira-Feroze dynamics. But, unlike Feroze Gandhi's tragic end - he died young after a heart attack - the film ends on a happy another scene, Aarti is pelted with stones. This happens after she delivers a speech and is confronted by an angry crowd. A journalist then asks her if violence is a part of politics, to which she replies that it is a part of bad incident has an uncanny similarity with a political rally where a stone hit Indira Gandhi's nose, requiring minor surgery. Photo: IMDb THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLYThe film's brilliance lies in Gulzar's ability to craft a story that is both intimate and universal, exploring the toll of public life on personal relationships. Sen's portrayal of Aarti is magnetic. She channels the poise and steely resolve of a leader while revealing the quiet loneliness beneath her polished as JK, matches her with a performance that is understated yet deeply affecting, his character's stoic demeanour masking years of unresolved film's non-linear storytelling, a Gulzar trademark, weaves past and present seamlessly, showing how Aarti's rise in politics strained her marriage and distanced her from her daughter. This personal conflict is juxtaposed with her public persona, where she navigates a world of sycophants, rivals, and moral compromises.'Aandhi' doesn't shy away from showing the gritty realities of politics - bribery, manipulation, and public scrutiny - but it does so with a poetic restraint that avoids Burman's music, paired with Gulzar's evocative lyrics, is the film's emotional heartbeat. Songs like 'Tere Bina Zindagi Se' and 'Is Mod Se Jaate Hain' are not mere interludes but narrative pillars, amplifying the themes of longing and chemistry between Sen and Kumar is most palpable in these musical moments, where their unspoken emotions speak louder than words. The supporting cast - Om Prakash, AK Hangal, and Om Shivpuri - adds depth, portraying the loyalists and sceptics who orbit Aarti's problem with the film is its climax. It starts with a problem that looks like a pointless 'Aandhi', a storm in a teacup, and ends with a dramatic solution. The subplot feels forced, relying on exaggerated gossip to dramatise Aarti's marriage, which clashes with the film's nuanced VERDICTDespite this flaw, the film's depiction of a strong, flawed female leader was groundbreaking for its time, challenging stereotypes in a male-dominated industry. The human story at its core - a love tested by ambition and time - makes 'Aandhi' timeless. The formula has been copied many times, almost verbatim in later films like 'Pyar Jhukta Nahin', underlining its evergreen Gandhi lost the 1977 election. When 'Aandhi' was re-released by the Moraraji Desai government, the audiences embraced its nuanced take on power and vulnerability. The film's success was a reminder that Indira Gandhi may have been defeated, but she wasn't forgotten. Like 'Aandhi', Indira Gandhi also got a second chance at redemption.'Aandhi' remains a must-watch for its bold storytelling, unforgettable performances, and its unflinching look at the personal costs of political life. It's a reminder that behind every public figure lies a private struggle, and that art, even when banned, has the power to endure and provoke. Watch it to witness a masterclass in filmmaking, music composition, and to reflect on the timeless truth: kuch toh log kahenge, but the heart knows its own story.P.S.: In 'Aandhi', Suchitra Sen is styled after Indira Gandhi. She wears crisp sarees, and has her trademark streak of grey. Habib Ahmed, the famous stylist, once revealed Indira's hair was 99 per cent except that grey streak, the rest had to be dyed black. 'She had it done first in France, and then I took over,' Habib revealed, adding that he saw the PM once or twice a week to help her maintain her iconic look.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
French literature influences writers and politicians in Kerala: Tharoor
T'puram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor stressed the cultural bond between France and Kerala, stating that French literature had a deep influence on writers and politicians of the state. Speaking at the launch of the 'Pardon My French' bookshelf at DC Books, organised by the French Institute of India on Thursday, Tharoor said, "French culture and ideas have seeped into our consciousness through political writing, appreciation and values of democracy, liberty, equality and fraternity." He noted that the extraordinary contribution of French writers opened new ways of thinking. "More than 100 years ago, in a transformative act of literary vision, Nalappat Narayana Menon translated Victor Hugo's Les Misérables into Malayalam as 'Paavangal'. It was a cultural transplantation and the soil of Kerala received it not just out of curiosity but with gratitude and a bit of revolutionary fervour. Our famous communist leader, EMS Namboothiripad, said 'Paavangal' was one of the sparks that led him to communism. Writers like Thagazhi and O V Vijayan have said that in the translated works of French writing, they found a new idiom of empathy, a new narrative possibility and a new lens through which to view the oppressed and the invisible. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo With 'Paavangal', Malayalam found a weapon for awakening and that engagement partly contributed to the decades of remarkable visionary and social ferment in Kerala from the 1930s onwards," Tharoor said. He also mentioned that many other Malayalis started to translate works of French and Russian fiction and modernist works and that's how the doors to people like Guy de Maupassant, Victor Hugo and Émile Zola were opened to Malayali minds. "That's how many Malayalis discovered the challenges of realism and introspection in a literature that mirrors society and questions it," he added. "The French, in many ways, have a cultural affinity to us, including in our great conversational habit. The habit of sitting around and discussing over coffee. The Bengali adda, the Malayali tea shop. This is France, except that it is taking place in our languages," he said.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka govt assures Supreme Court no ban on Kamal Haasan's ‘Thug Life' screening
In a fresh development over the ongoing 'Thug Life' row, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka has submitted its response to the Supreme Court, clarifying that it has not placed any ban or restriction on the film's screening, news agency ANI reported. In its affidavit, the state also assured the Court that adequate protection and security would be provided should the film's producers proceed with the release of the Kamal Haasan-starrer in Karnataka. Additionally, the state government emphasized its commitment to safeguarding all parties involved with the film's release. READ | 'Thug Life' row: Pro-Kannada outfit chief says Kamal Haasan 'should have apologised' However, the affidavit also acknowledged that the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), the main representative body of the Kannada film industry, had previously written to Kamal Haasan, urging him to apologize for controversial remarks he made about the Kannada language. The actor had reportedly claimed that Kannada 'originated' from Tamil, sparking protests from several pro-Kannada groups. The matter is scheduled for a Supreme Court hearing today, June 19. READ | 'None of its business': Supreme Court pulls up Karnataka high court for Kamal Haasan apology remark Praveen Shetty, chief of a prominent pro-Kannada organisation on Wednesday stated that his organization does not oppose the release of Thug Life. However, he insisted that Haasan should have issued an apology in line with the Karnataka High Court's earlier suggestion. "We are not opposing the release of the movie 'Thug Life' of Kamal Haasan. It was a simple issue. After hurting the sentiments of Karnataka by saying that the Kannada language has been born out of the Tamil language, he should have apologised as per the suggestions given by the Karnataka HC. But he went to the Supreme Court. Now, the Supreme Court has given an order, so we will accept it. Curbing activism by deploying police is against the Constitution and the law of the land," he said. READ | Why would any self-respecting Kannadiga watch 'Thug Life'? asks Pro Kannada outfit leader Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also appealed to pro-Kannada organizations to honour the Supreme Court's directive, which had instructed the state to ensure the film's unhindered release. "We should all respect the order given by the court in the Kamal Haasan case. I appeal to pro-Kannada organisations that we should not cross our limits and should be peaceful. No one should take the law into their own hands. Our state is a peace-loving state," Shivakumar said. (With inputs from ANI)
