Road To Sangam (NR)

synopsis

A simple story of a how a God fearing, devout Muslim mechanic named Hashmatullah (Paresh Rawal), resident of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, who has been entrusted the job of repairing an old Ford V8 engine not knowing the historic significance - that it once carried the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi which were immersed in the holy Triveni Sangam, imbibes the Gandhian values. The film begins with an imaginary sequence of events. The story has been imagined such that after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination in 1948, his ashes were divided into 20 parts and sent to different provinces of India and then brought back, recollected and dispersed in Triveni Sangam in Allahabad. All (but one) parts of his ashes were dispersed in 1948 but one part somehow lay forgotten in a locker of Orissa State Bank for decades until one day this error is realised and Gandhi's grandson claims it back by filing an application in the Orissa High Court. Government decides to honour Mahatma Gandhi's grandson's wish is to disperse this forgotten part of ashes in Triveni Sangam in the same way the other parts of the ashes were dispersed. So the same Ford lorry which was used in 1948 is to be used again, and its engine has been given to Hashmat (Paresh Rawal) to be repaired. Hashmat comes to know about historic significance of the engine he is repairing when a news channel reporter comes to interview him. In another parallel development, there has been a terrorist bomb blast in a court of Uttar Pradesh. In relation to that bomb attack, Uttar Pradesh Police arrests some suspects (suspected to have links with the terror organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen) from various cities of Uttar Pradesh including the Muslim neighbourhood of Allahabad, where Hashmat lives. Hashmat is General Secretary of the Managing Committee of the main Mosque of Allahabad (Masjid-e-Azam). The Mosque Committee decides to hold a protest against the government and Police outside the Court Complex for arresting Muslim suspects. While Police tries to block the entry of protesting Muslims into the court, many of them succeed in breaking the police cordon and entering the court premises. Police beat them up with canes (lathicharge). One Muslim protester, while trying to scale the boundary wall of the Court, dies in an accident. It is revealed that the youth who died in the accident was none other than the nephew of Chairman of the Mosque Committee Nawab Kasuri (played by Om Puri). Infuriated Nawab Kasuri supported by Maulana of the Mosque Masjid-e-Azam calls for a 'Bandh' (General Strike) by all Muslims. All Muslims, whether in public or private sector, are ordered to stop work. Hashmat is caught between the community and his promise to deliver the Ford engine after repair to his friend - Mr. Rizvi- who works with Government of Uttar Pradesh. First he decides to return the engine unrepaired and goes to meet Mr. Rizvi at the museum where Mr. Rizvi works. He does not get to meet Mr. Rizvi but driven by circumstances he comes to know that Mahatma Gandhi laid his life fighting for safety of Muslims during Partition. His conscience appeals to him and he resolves to deliver the engine for Mahatma Gandhi's cause. He asks the Mosque Committee to make exception for him (as this is for a cause) allowing him to return to work and deliver the engine in time, but Mosque Committee insults him and rebukes him. His family and friends turn against him. He is pressurised and physically attacked but he carries on with his work eventually winning over hearts of his fellow Muslims (who regarded him as a traitor) with Gandhian values and methods.