LAST PUSH

In 1946 ratings of the Royal Indian Navy went on strike in Bombay and over a period of 3 days took control of 78 ships and 21 shore establishments. They brought down British flags and replaced them with entwined flags of the Congress, Muslim League and the Communist party. The insurrection that began on a shore installation spread like wildfire till 20,000 men of the Royal Indian Navy were in open rebellion against the British crown. There were shore to ship battles in Bombay and Karachi ports. Workers and students in Bombay came out in support and fought the British on the streets. Public demonstrations broke out in towns and cities across the subcontinent. The impact of the mutiny was felt across British Indian military formations. For 48 hours the jewel in the crown of the British Empire was seen tottering out of control before command was wrested back.
But if there was one thing that this naval mutiny by Indian sailors achieved it was to drive that last nail into the coffin of the British Raj. From the time of the mutiny the British finally knew that they had no choice but to quit India. Yet 75 years after independence the Naval Mutiny of 1946 is hardly a footnote in the history of India’s freedom struggle. The national political leaders of the times, from Gandhiji to Sardar Patel to M.A. Jinnah had not come out in support of the mutiny. Many of them had made promises to the young sailors that if they withdrew their strike no punitive measures would be taken against them. These were promises that couldn’t be kept as the British meted out harsh and severe punishment to those who had led the mutiny. Even after independence in 1947 neither India with the Congress nor Pakistan with the Muslim League at the helm recognised the valour of those seamen who fought for their land and paid a high price for their patriotism.
This film is but a small effort to set right the gap in the collective memory of a nation; it is but an endeavour to put forth facts and events of what can be considered India’s Last War of Independence. The Last Push is a first of its kind documentary on the subject and looks at the events of the 1946 mutiny in detail and in perspective. Visualisation of the film juxtaposes archival material, stylised symbolic recreations with present-day settings of historical places.
Archival audio-visual material has been sourced from the Imperial War Museum and the Cambridge University in the UK. Newspaper and photo archives in India and Pakistan have been tapped for relevant material. Thoroughly researched this documentary neither hypes up events nor downplays their impact on the course of history. Naval experts, researchers, and historians fill the gaps in a nation’s understanding of its past.
The Last Push has been produced by IANS -India's largest independent newswire. This film is IAN’s premier presentation in a documentary series on the lesser documented revolts/uprisings/mutinies against the British Raj.
The Last Push is directed by Sujay who for 3 decades has been chronicling for television the great transformation that India has witnessed over time. Sujay has directed hundreds of documentaries and news features on subjects that range from the foreign to the national; from economy to technology; militancy; media; sports; human stories and societal upheavals; from the contemporary to the historical. Over the years Sujay's work has been acknowledged by several prestigious documentary and journalism award juries.
The Last Push is a tribute to the bravery and valour of those thousands of young Indians who smilingly put their lives on line to take on the might of the British crown.