The Sabarmati Report’s teaser has created a flutter. Starring Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna, the Ranjan Chandel-directed political thriller revolves around two reporters who investigate the burning of the Sabarmati Express in 2002. Amul Mohan, who has backed the movie along with Ektaa R Kapoor, says that as a producer, he is looking for compelling narratives and The Sabarmati Report delivered on that count. “Aseem sir [Arora, writer] had a take on The Sabarmati Report, and we built on that. It’s emotion-driven, as it deals with a timeline in India when such a ghastly act happened. The sense of injustice we felt while we were researching it, made us gravitate towards it,” starts Mohan.

On February 27, 2002, 59 pilgrims returning from Ayodhya were killed in a blaze in the four coaches of the Sabarmati Express near Godhra railway station in Gujarat. It had led to one of the worst communal riots in Gujarat. While the film is a mix of fact and fiction, Mohan highlights that it isn’t centred on the Sabarmati Express fire or the subsequent riots, but focuses on the following decade and the findings of the actual Sabarmati report. “We are not touching on anything that happened immediately, post the Godhra train incident but the investigation as to what really transpired that night, near Godhra station, in Gujarat in 2002. Our subject is controversial, but our take will make it more palatable for the masses,” states Mohan.