Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel starrer Gadar: Ek Prem Katha completes two decades of its release on June 15. As the film turns 20 today, here are 20 lesser-known facts about the blockbuster love story that created a rage when released in 2001 on the same day as Aamir Khan's Lagaan.

20 years of Gadar: Did you know makers auditioned 400 girls for Ameesha Patel's role?

20 Years Of Gadar: Did You Know Makers Auditioned 400 Girls For Ameesha Patel's Role?

The story of this film is loosely based on the real life of Boota Singh, a Sikh ex-soldier of the British Army who served at the Burma front during World War II. He rescued a Muslim girl during the communal riots at the time of partition. Both fell in love and got married. Later, the girl was deported and sent to the newly born Pakistan. Boota illegally entered Pakistan to bring her wife back. However, when the girl backed off under the pressure from her family, he commits suicide by jumping before an upcoming train.

According to reports, Sunny Deol and Ameesha were not the first choice to play the lead in Gadar. Before them, the makers also considered actors like Kajol and Govinda to headline the film.

It was Ameesha Patel’s second film after her blockbuster debut in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai opposite Hrithik Roshan. The success of Gadar made Ameesha the most sought actor at the time. However, none of her subsequent films repeated the same magic.

Gadar is the highest-grossing film in Sunny’s acting career. Talking about his character the actor had said there was something special about the character of Tara Singh as he is soft and sweet but can bring the world upside down when it comes to his family and country.

Gadar was the firsTo give the train sequence, at the beginning of the film, an authentic feel, the Amritsar station was given the look of 1940s when the unfortunate incident actually happened.t movie whose show started at 6 am on audience demand.

The steam engine used for the shooting was hired from the Railway Museum in Delhi and it was all done at a Live station with a real crowd and actors.

Gadar ranks third in Indian films by Box Office India in terms of all-time highest footfalls, beaten only by Baahubali and Hum Aapke Hain Koun.

Gadar was Ameesha Patel’s second film and she was selected after auditioning with 400 other people. She won the Filmfare Special Award for the film.

The film Gadar was the third time Sunny Deol’s film clashed with Aamir Khan’s movie and all the movies went on to become big hits. The movies include Dil and Ghayal (1990), Raja Hindustani and Ghatak (1996) or Lagaan and Gadar (2001).

Gadar broke the record previously set by Sholay for most tickets sold for a Hindi film.

The role of onscreen son of Sunny and Ameesha, is played by Utkarsh Sharma who is the son of Gadar's director Anil Sharma. Utkarsh was around seven when Gadar happened.

For the shot of the train coming from across the border with dead bodies, director Anil Sharma had instructed the crowd to enact pain and cry seeing the bodies. There was a 60-65-year-old Sikh man who continued to cry on the ground even after the shot got over as he was six when he faced the same scene of a blood-soaked train with his parents in it and the scene triggered his pain once again.