Sep 20, 2005 02:18 PM
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(Updated Nov 04, 2005 11:46 AM)
- Mother India
This very intense film set against the backdrop of rural India focussed on the exploitation and the plight of simple village folk, troubled by the ‘Zamindari System’(feudal lord owning most of the village land by hook or by crook – force, coercion) and the money lenders. The subjugation of the villager and his acceptance of the system were complete. Any attempt to raise voice against it was met with violence perpetrated by the ‘Zamindar’ through his goons. Produced by Mehboob Khan in 1957 the film also glorified the virtues of motherhood/womanhood and protection of the family very effectively portrayed by Nargis. The family ploughing the fields with lot of effort and pain and facing the wrath of the zamindar and his goons and still trying to be content is about the story.
Nargis, Raj kumar, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Kanhaiyalal were the main characters in the film. Rajkumar as the husband of Nargis suffers a stroke. As a result full responsibility of the family falls on the shoulders of his wife which was not possible for him to see and he leaves the house. One of his sons, Sunil Dutt, who had a rebellious nature, turns into an outlaw. In the climax in the movie he is shot by his mother, to show her solidarity with the society.
Rajendra Kumar who acted as her good son excelled in the role which was very highly appreciated.
Kanhaiyalal, is the money lender in the movie. His role of a lecherous, lascivious person with very strong antics was played by him so well as to leave his mark on the viewers and be hated by all for that.
Music was provided by Naushad keeping the rural flavour. “Duniya men hum aayen hain to jeena hi padega(having come into the world we will have to live.)…” is a haunting song the way it is picturised. Matwala jiya dole piya, and Dukh bhare din… are other songs which became popular because of the success of the movie.
2 “Do Bigha Zameen”(two quarter acres of land)
Another movie of the same genre, shows the struggle of a villager who tries in
vain to save his small plot of land. This was Bimal Roy’s present to the people
in 1953. Here Balraj Sahani’s role as a poor villager(Shambhu) who is always
kicked and deprived of his legitimate dues by the powerful landowners was
most memorable. The film was very powerful in the depiction of the plight of the
poor villager in olden times. Shambhu the dispossessed peasant moves to the
big city of Calcutta to pull a ‘rikshaw’ to earn, save and pay for the tiny plot of
land in the village. Balraj Sahani, a well educated and sophisticated person
transforms himself completely to give a highly compelling and superb
performance both as a villager and as a ‘rikshaw’ puller. The film left an indelible
impression with the wretchedness of human behaviour writ large on Sahani’s
face when he returns to the village to see a factory standing on his plot.
- Ek Bar Phir(One more Time)
It was a 1979 movie shot in London, memorable for its locales and beautiful photography in and around London. It was a movie by all fresh faces. It was shot in London. It had Suresh Oberoi as an adulterous husband. Dipti Naval was in the role of his wife. She is tolerant, understanding and very loving. Husband is flirtatious and she discovers it. While wandering in the streets of London, she meets a budding, struggling painter-artist, played by Pradeep Verma practicing his trade on the street. They meet develop friendship and finally fall for each other. She had to say enough is enough to her husband. She goes back to India and before leaving informs her husband and he tries to say something but in vain. In style, photography(the shots of gardens and streets of London), acting, I thought it was a very fine film. It was the effort of all new comers; director producer Vinod Pande and fresh actors; Dipti Naval as the leading lady and Suresh Oberoi as the hero. Others in the cast were: Pradeep Verma and Chittu Chopra, names not heard again. The music was again by a new comer, Raghunath Seth and its budget was just 8 lacs(about$ 1800 in today’s exchange rate). But finally decides to return to India and informs her husband on phone just before leaving and his persuasion and glib talk has no impression on her. The film also has a crushing cabaret number-baby, I have a crush on you- by Parvati Khan(nee Maharaj).
- Pyasa(Thirsty).
This was Guru Dutt’s epoch making film Gurudutt at his best and Waheeda Rehman, plays the role of a hooker, a seductress very well and leaves her impress, a role she assays with aplomb and conviction. A black and white movie with silent movements, the actors do not speak much but convey a lot. Pyasa. Though she plays a pros*itute she is shown to possess a heart of gold Pyasa was archetypal story of a struggling young poet’s yearning and thirst for fame and love. The movie seemed to project the director’s own inner conflict and pain. Though the film had popular light elements, but the main theme of that of the struggle of a sensitive individual came through very well. The songs were very touching: ‘Jaane kya tune kahi, jaane kya maine suni’(It is not known what you said and what I heard.) and Jaane woh kaise log the jinke pyaar ko pyaar mila
(what kind of people were they who got love in return for love.). Pyasa was a lyrical and a sensitive film which touched you and compelled to remember the protagonist/artist.
5 Kagaz Ke Phool(Paper flowers)
Kagaz Ke Phool(1959) also a Gurudutt made film in black and white with excellent music, depicted the story of forlorn lovers, an apparent semi-autobiographical story of a director who falls in love with the heroine(Waheeda Rehman), his protégé but ends up nowhere. He loses everything, his family, his career and dies on the sets of her film whom he has discovered. This was a creative but very tragic work of Gurudutt which, though failed at the box office when released, became one of the most important creative success of the director and assumed epic proportions. He is considered as dead and tributes are being paid to him when he reaches the hall from the back and nobody recognizes. It depicts showbiz as ephemeral and to that end the songs are expressive: ‘Waqt ne kiya kya hasin sitam…(time has brought some beautiful havoc …)’and ‘yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaye to kya hai…’Even if you get this world what is the use…), Dekhi zamzne ki yaari bichre sabhi bari bari…
Continued in comments: 1-5. 5 comes after 1st.
