The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar ended on an ambiguous note, with Henry Sugar’s accountant commissioning Roald Dahl to write his story. However, he does not reveal Henry’s real name and asks Dahl to refer to him as Henry Sugar in the story.
The film hints multiple times that the story is based on facts and is a true story. Henry’s accountant does not reveal his real name, so the viewers do not know of his reality, as he had wished.
The film makes us wonder whether Henry Sugar’s story is real and whether he actually existed in real life. To our disappointment, the answer is no.
Henry Sugar is not a real person, but a fictional character created by Roald Dahl. There is no one person the story is based on. The story is also a fictional story.
1. Was Henry Sugar a real person?
No. Even though the film claims that Henry Sugar is a real person, he is a fictional character. Henry Sugar’s story is said to be based on real events in the film only to create more mystique around his character and garner curiosity.
In reality, Henry Sugar is a fictional character created by Roald Dahl in his short story. The film suggests that Henry’s accountant, John Winston, commissioned Roald Dahl to write his life story after his death. However, this too is a part of the story and not true.
In the film adaptation, Wes Anderson uses the device of metafiction in order to connect his viewers to the story. Roald Dahl himself is a character in the story. The device of metafiction is the author being a character in his story and being aware of him being a part of a fictional universe. Anderson has used this device in his other films too.
All in all, all that we see in the film is fiction, and there’s little to no resemblance to real events as such. Henry Sugar is not a real person.
2. Is The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar a true story?
The film also reminds viewers several times that the story is based on true events and facts of Henry Sugar’s life. However, that is not true either. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is not a true story. It is completely fictional.
While the story may have been inspired by various ideas, including Indian yogic thought, it did not happen in reality. Henry Sugar’s character is similar to a lot of real-life personalities who have used their immense wealth to help those in need.
Henry Sugar could be compared to Gautam Buddha, a man who let go of his princely life to lead the life of an ascetic and embraced a new kind of spiritualism. He can also be compared to various billionaires in the real world who donate a massive chunk of their wealth to help the needy. But there is no one person he is based on.
3. Is Imdad Khan real?
The story of Imdad Khan in the film is intriguing and thought-provoking. Imdad Khan is a man who master’s the art of seeing the world without using his eyes after following the advice of an Indian yogi.
While he is not real, his character is similar to a Pakistani mystic, Kuda Bux, who could see without his eyes, just like Imdad Khan in the film. He was popularly known as The Man Who Can See Without His Eyes. As per legends, he learned the art from a Hindu yogi, just like Imdad Khan in the film.
Kuda Bux’s story inspired Roald Dahl to create Imdad Khan’s character. Apart from his ability to see without using his eyes, Kuda Bux could also walk on fire. Many say that he once cycled across Broadway while he was blindfolded.
Henry Sugar reads about Imdad Khan and his abilities in Dr. Z.Z Chatterjee’s diary in the film. Imdad’s story inspired him to try to master the technique of seeing without using his eyes so that he could use it to win money in gambling.
4. About The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is a 2023 American fantasy short film written, co-produced and directed by Wes Anderson, based on the 1977 short story of the same name by Roald Dahl.
It is the second film adaptation of a Dahl work directed by Anderson, following Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character alongside Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, and Richard Ayoade.
The story sees a rich man learning about a guru who could see without using his eyes, then setting out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling.
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