Five things to know about the real Sardar Udham Singh
Vicky Kaushal's latest venture Sardar Udham is just a few days away from its premiere on Amazon Prime Video this Dussehra, on October 16. The Hindi language biopic is based on the life of freedom fighter Sardar Udham Singh who had assassinated Michael O'Dwyer, ex-Lieutenant Governor of Punjab. Before the Shoojit Sircar directorial hits your screens, here are some lesser-known facts about the revolutionary.
Impacted by Jallianwalabagh Massacre, he devoted life to seeking revenge
Even though Brigadier Reginald Dyer is the one who ordered his troops to open fire at people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, he couldn't have done it without O'Dwyer's permission. Singh was around 19-20 then and was deeply impacted by the incident, a scene also portrayed in the trailer. He pledged to avenge the death of his fellow countrymen and worked on it for decades.
Meeting in jail, Singh considered Bhagat Singh his 'guru'
Singh had met Bhagat Singh in jail and was so enamored by the fellow revolutionary's ideals that he addressed Bhagat as his guru. Apart from sharing visions about seeking independence, Bhagat had even influenced Singh's thoughts about atheism. Notably, Kaushal had dropped the trailer on the birth anniversary of the legendary freedom fighter, Bhagat, paying respects to his camaraderie with Singh.
Acting might have helped Singh adopt several identities
Another fact featuring in the trailer was Singh's many identities. Did you know he was a perfectionist when it came to nailing different personalities and one of the reasons behind it could be because of his experience as an actor? He even worked as an extra on the sets of Elephant Boy (1937). Moreover, Singh worked as a carpenter, welder, lingerie salesperson, and voyager.
He publicly carried out the assassination to give a message
As someone who spent 20 years waiting to avenge his people, Singh could have hidden his identity while killing O'Dwyer. But he shot the ex-official at a meeting of the East India Association and The Royal Central Asian Society at Caxton Hill publicly. Reportedly, he did this to send a message—the world should never forget "India's greatest tragedy." He patiently waited to get arrested.
He propagated teachings of religious unity even from prison
After being imprisoned in Brixton Prison following O'Dwyer's assassination, Singh did not stop working for his nation's independence. He reportedly held a 36-day-long hunger strike to symbolize the power and the need for religious unity in India to fight the British. He had even identified himself as "Ram Mohammad Singh Azad" in custody. In 2018, the revolutionary's statue was erected at Jallianwala Bagh.
