How Manoj Kumar's Shaheed inspired filmmaker Anil Sharma

Filmmaker Anil Sharma, who has helmed films like Apne, Hero: The Love Story of a Spy, and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, feels extremely emotional when asked about the film that inspired him to make eight or nine patriotic dramas. As the nation celebrated its 75th Independence Day yesterday, Anil spoke to BT about Manoj Kumar's Shaheed made in 1965.
He reminisced, "I must have been about 14-15 years old when I saw Shaheed.Back in those days, films used to have re-runs in theatres. I saw it at a cinema hall in Mathura, where I was born and raised. I walked home from the theatre thinking about the film and trying to understand what must have run across the minds of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru, when they walked towards the gallows, singing, Mera rang de basanti chola...My friends and I, for many years, used to enact the film like a drama, It's etched in my memory. That moment when you see them walking towards the gallows is so dramatic and so raw. Those young men embraced their death just so that we can have a free country. Manoj Kumar inspired a generation of people to take pride in India, its history, its culture, its fight for freedom, its progress, and its traditions which are so varied and yet, so beautifully unifying. Shaheed left an indelible mark on my mind and my heart. I must have made about eight or nine patriotic films in my career and each time that I set out to make one, Shaheed played on my mind. Somehow, somewhere an aspect of Shaheed trickled into the ethos of my films. Haqeeqat by Chetan Anand, starring Dharmendra and Balraj Sahani is a masterpiece and an emotionally stirring experience, too."