Director Harjus Singh is finishing up post-production for his film, “All Quiet on the Home Front,” based on the story of Bhagat Singh Thind, who fought for U.S. citizenship in a landmark 1923 U.S. Supreme Court case. Starring Sikh actor and designer Waris Ahluwalia, the film explores issues of identity, citizenship, and veterans. “This was […]

Director Harjus Singh is finishing up post-production for his film, “All Quiet on the Home Front,” based on the story of Bhagat Singh Thind, who fought for U.S. citizenship in a landmark 1923 U.S. Supreme Court case. Starring Sikh actor and designer Waris Ahluwalia, the film explores issues of identity, citizenship, and veterans.

“This was a human story of a World War I U.S. Army veteran who was willing to give his life for a country that no longer wanted him,” Singh told NBC News. “Reflecting on the themes of ‘What do we define to be an American’ and ‘How do we treat our veterans,’ I also found the imagery of a Sikh with his identity in full U.S. Army attire. And as 2015 proceeded and there was this sense that you had to look a certain way to be perceived as an ‘American,’ I wanted to show that a person with a turban and beard can be a U.S. Army veteran and an American hero.”

The film almost did not get made, however, when Ahluwalia was not allowed to board his plane in Mexico City. “There were certain parallels with what [Ahluwalia] did in Mexico City with his character Bhagat Singh that we spoke about in rehearsals,” Singh said. “In many ways, Waris had a bit in common with the real Bhagat Singh Thind.”

The film is expected to begin showing at film festivals this fall.