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AMRITA KAUR
As a child, Mr Simranjit Singh used to spend much of his free time at the Bhai Maharaj Singh Memorial at Silat Road Sikh Temple in Bukit Merah.
He would sit with the few women custodians managing the memorial, watch devotees give offerings and ask for blessings. But that was as far as his knowledge went about the memorial belonging to the first Sikh in recorded history who set foot in Singapore in 1850.
Now, when the 40-year-old father of three takes his children to the memorial, they have questions for him: "'Who is he? Was he brave? Why did he come to Singapore?' I used to be very fascinated with the connection the memorial had with the people, and I still am," said Mr Singh.
Bhai Maharaj Singh arrived here in chains, after he was arrested by the British in India - which was then a colony - out of fear that his detention in India may cause unrest.
At that time, during the 19th century, he was revered by the Sikh community in India for his spirituality, patriotic fervour and for standing up against the British dominion. He also led the movement against British occupation in Punjab.
Due to his popularity in India, the British decided to move him to Singapore - far from his loyal followers.
He was sent to Outram Prison, where he died in 1856.
Now, for the first time, a documentary is in the works about the man.
After doing research, Mr Singh realised that a lot of what has been recorded about the freedom fighter was done in bits and pieces.
"If my kids were asking simple questions about him, there could be others who have also asked the same and they might not have been able to find the right answers," he told tabla!
Last year, when he found out that a Sikh historian was giving a talk on Bhai Maharaj Singh, he decided to attend it to learn more.
"I looked across the auditorium and realised I was the youngest there. The rest were older and they already knew facts about the man and were trying to find out more. But nobody was engaging the youth on this," said Mr Singh, who runs healthcare company Guardant Health.
"Even the historian said he felt the story could be lost and suggested that it would be interesting to make a film about Bhai Maharaj Singh."
Mr Singh contemplated producing a documentary on Bhai Maharaj Singh as he "felt uncomfortable" that he wasn't doing anything about it.
More importantly, he felt that the younger generation needed to find a way to connect with and learn about him. He reached out to filmmaker Upneet Kaur-Nagpal and discussed the idea of making a documentary.
She is a Sikh herself, but had no knowledge about Bhai Maharaj Singh until Mr Singh told her about the freedom fighter's story.
"I found the narrative interesting, considering also that we have a record of our first Sikh arrival and that too one with such a fascinating story," said Ms Kaur-Nagpal, who started researching the historical figure in March last year.
This also tied in well with Singapore's bicentennial celebrations, Mr Singh felt. "Every community was sharing their story and we were discussing how come nobody's telling our story? Where's the Sikh story?" said Mr Singh.
"He is the first Sikh to come to Singapore and he relates to our colonial times and our diaspora. In a way, he's a Singaporean icon, so he was a perfect match for the bicentennial commemoration."
In making the documentary titled The Saint Soldier - Uncovering The Bhai Maharaj Singh Story, Ms Kaur-Nagpal, along with cinematographer Abhishek Anchliya, went to India and England to carry out extensive research.
In India, they captured glimpses of his birthplace and other places of interest in his story - mostly villages and towns near Amritsar.
They also caught up with his descendants who shared some artefacts connected with him and met a local academic who gave them a powerful rendition of his story.
In England, they spoke to historians who added fresh dimensions to the story, outside the India perspective.
The historians revealed the five personal items - conch shell, seal ring, needle and thread, kara (Sikh bangle) and some manuscripts - which were confiscated from Bhai Maharaj Singh. These are still held under lock and key at the British Library in London.
"They are regarded as rare and precious items, said Ms Kaur-Nagpal.
"The paintings and artefacts from that time also helped flesh out a better idea of this person and his impact beyond India."
In Singapore, two academics spoke about him in the context of Singapore's history and identity making, while some community members talked about their personal relationship with his memorial.
Said Ms Kaur-Nagpal: "His journey was one of twists and turns, spanning across India, England and Singapore, and transcending time and space in history through Maharaja Ranjit Singh's powerful Sikh empire, the Anglo-Sikh wars and the British annexation of Punjab.
"It also has links with the colonial history of Singapore, re-connecting with more familiar locations such as Outram Prison, Singapore General Hospital and Silat Road Sikh Temple."
The Saint Soldier - Uncovering The Bhai Maharaj Singh Story is being edited and will be released in Singapore next month.
When Mr Singh viewed the first cut of the documentary, he almost broke down.
"I felt it's beautiful that the story can now be told. I was overwhelmed and I hope that will be the reaction of people too when they see it, whatever their connection is," he said.
"More importantly, I hope there is a part in the documentary that will relate to them."
The documentary, which cost $130,000 to make, was funded by the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board and individual donors.
Before its release in Singapore, the 60-minute documentary will have its global premiere at the Sikhlens festival at Chapman University in Orange, California, from Nov 22 to 24.
The festival provides an outlet for sharing Sikh heritage and culture with the rest of the world.
The premiere of The Saint Soldier - Uncovering The Bhai Maharaj Singh Story will be held at the Asian Civilisations Museum on Dec 14 at 3pm
