Have you watched the Netflix movie ‘Sardar ka Grandson’? If not, I recommend that a decor enthusiast like you watches it right away! Because the Lahore house in the movie, is to die for!
I connected with Mr. Sujeet Sawant, the award-winning set designer who created this set. And he shared a few insights as well as stunning images on how the set developed. But first, let me talk about the movie!
‘Sardar ka Grandson’ – about the movie!
The comedy-drama is written by Anuja Chauhan, and directed by Kaashvie Nair. The star-studded cast includes Arjun Kapoor, Nakul Preet Singh and Neena Gupta in lead roles, and also. Cameo appearances by John Abraham and Aditi Rao Hydari. A love story that begins in 1946 during the chaos of paritition.The music soundtrack is composed by Tanishk Bagchi and the music score is by Gulraj Singh. I loved the cinematography, and the credit goes to Mahendra J Shetty!
The storyline – Sardar ka Grandson
It’s 2020. Amreek has just broken up with his girlfriend, also his business partner. They run a moving company called Gently Gently. After the breakup, Amreek comes to India, as he gets a call from his dad in Punjab, that his grandmother is seriously ill. Amreek’s grandmother (Sardar) has a dying wish – to visit her Lahore home, that she had left in a hurry soon after she lost her husband in the riots during the partition between India and Pakistan, 1946. There’s just one problem. Sardar was banned from entering Pakistan – for insulting a Pakistani official during a cricket match. So after many attempts to get her there – Amreek does something unbelievable. He gets Gently Gently to move the house back to India, so that Sardar can see it and relive her memories that she made with the love of her life – her husband Gursher. Gursher and Sardar used to own a bicycle shop in Lahore.
The old house in Lahore – the reason for this post.
As a decor enthusiast, I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks, especially the scene of her painting little motifs on her doors, and their excitement when doing up their home. The furniture is gorgeous as are the architectural elements in the house. The moment I saw it, I knew I wanted to explore more. I got in touch with Mr. Sawant. He very generously gave me his time over a call, and also sent in lots of visual media files to help me understand how the set was conceptualised!
The process of finalizing the look of the set
The director Kaashvie Nair was very particular that the set of the Lahore House looked authentic. According to the story line, it was a new house, but mostly bare, with minimal furniture that was easily available in those days. Yet, young Sardar lovingly decorated it, even drawing some simple motifs on the walls and doors to make it uniquely hers. Most of us can identify with this, I am sure.
Accordingly, Kaashvie Nair sent Sujeet Sawant a PPT file detailing the looks, that he was happy to share with me. It was interesting to see the little notes that she put in, and that eventually resulted in Mr. Sawant’s creativity taking over and bringing out the most gorgeous set for the Lahore house.
From the cycle shop that screamed old world romanticism, to brick walls and period furniture, I enjoyed learning how the moodboards transitioned to the set. Here are some images of the set in progress. These images are the inspiration for the set, and I think they are just lovely!
Sardar ka Grandson – The transition to the actual set
You can see how the look transitioned from the above pinspirations to the actual set, by some of the BTS and WIP images shared by Sawant. Most of all, you can see the connection between certain elements and how they were brought in to portray the financial status and the stage of life of this young couple.
The furniture is gorgeous, and the above pic is a scene from when the furniture on the set was just getting ready. The writing desk seems out of place, but tells us much. That Sardar was an educated woman, and must have spent time writing here and possibly also used this desk to keep the accounts.
The stained glass in only a part of the window tells of their struggle but also of their determination to make the most of whatever they had.
Have you watched the movie? And what were your favourite elements from Sardar’s Lahore home? For me, it was the brick walls, windows and doors that are recurring elements on this set, and bring out the period it was set in.
Do check our Pinterest board out if you wish to save any of these images, you could just head there and add them to your own boards!
Do you like exploring decor in movies? Check our other Movie-oriented pieces on this blog
