In this weekly column, we revisit the gems of Hindi cinema’s golden years. This week, we have a look once more at Mother India, which launched in 1957.
Some movies outline the course of cinema, and affect generations of filmmakers, actors, and audiences. Not many movies get this distinction, however Mehboob Khan’s 1957 movie Mother India might be a movie that undoubtedly makes the minimize.
Starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raj Kumar, Mother India is among the movies made virtually 64 years again, which is appreciated for its themes. While a lot of these themes have completely different interpretations in 2021, the origin story of Mother India continues to be one thing that can work even nowadays.
Bharat Mata continues to be celebrated for its central theme.
Bharat Mata is the story of Radha (Nargis) who’s a newly wed bride within the village. She begins working within the fields along with her husband because the household is weighed down by the debilitating debt of the native moneylender. . Even although the individuals round her – her husband (Raj Kumar), mother-in-law, her two kids go away her facet, Radha nonetheless has to fret in regards to the subsequent meal for her two remaining sons – Birju (Sunil Dutt). . and Ramu (Rajendra Kumar).
In a scene within the movie, Radha’s kids are ravenous and she or he has to show to the evil moneylender for assist. Sukhila hopes that she is going to commerce her physique for one thing to eat and as she contemplates her situation, Radha has an epiphany. Radha refuses to compromise on her integrity when she sees an idol of a god. This is a defining scene for the movie as a result of at this level, he’s the equal of being a god.
The title of Bharat Mata might be interpreted in some ways. At that point, the title of Mehboob Khan’s alternative had landed in some controversy as a guide of the identical identify had created fairly a ruckus. Kathryn Mayo’s guide was seen as an insult to Indian tradition and values and lots of feared whether or not Khan was making a movie based mostly on the guide. His alternative got here from the idea that any further, Bharat Mata could be remembered as an emblem of sacrifice, love and devotion, not what Mayo wrote.
Translated as Bharat Mata, one interpretation of this title equates moms to being goddesses. While some may say that it lifts ladies up a notch, it hardly helps their trigger. Treating her as a goddess provides males a possibility to get away with treating her as individuals.
The title additionally suggests {that a} mom who brings life to earth is a godlike determine, however she isn’t handled like a human who has the selection to make errors. Like within the movie, Radha has to take duty for her home, her kids and her unending debt. When Birju makes a mistake, it’s Radha who’s accountable to the villagers. It locations ladies in a field the place they’re anticipated to earn god-like respect from society solely after they contribute kids.
Traditionally, Indians have at all times regarded their land as ‘Mother Earth’ and right here lies one other interpretation of the title. The incarnation of ‘Mother Earth’ involves the fore when Radha and her sons revive the village farms by mere labour.
After profitable a medal within the latest Tokyo Olympics, it was generally noticed that feminine sportspersons have been addressed as ‘India’s daughter’. There is the same drawback with the title of Mother India, as right here additionally ladies’s achievements, sacrifices are revered by way of their relationship and never as an individual.
While Mother India is entangled between feminism and patriarchy, the movie can not let go of its archaic roots, which can have been up to date on the time. In the top the battle with Birju solely occurs as a result of the girl he’s planning to kidnap is sacred to the village – “beti gaaon ki izzat hai”. This patriarchal setup provides solution to some of the stunning climax ever re-watched by many filmmakers. To today, a girl pointing a gun at her son leaves you shocked, so one can think about the horror and influence of the scene when Nargis’ Radha shoots Dutt’s Birju.
Bharat Mata is blessed with a number of the finest artists of its time. After watching a whole lot of movies from the Fifties, there is no such thing as a doubt in my thoughts that Nargis was certainly an enigmatic artist and if there was one movie she preferred finest, it was Mother India. Sunil Dutt’s Birju is sort of compelling within the scenes the place he struggles to know his household’s money owed whereas looking for an alternate outlet for his anger.
With music by Naushad and lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni, Mother India has been blessed within the soundtrack division as properly. With tracks equivalent to “Dukh Bhare Din Beete Re”, “Holy I Re Kanhai”, Mother India organized her songs into narrative, which was fairly uncommon for the Fifties.
The story and themes of Mother India have given rise to numerous tales in Indian cinema, however because the movie has gotten older, not all of the themes it proudly represented again within the day. Nevertheless, Mother India stays some of the celebrated movies of all time and only for that accolade, it’s value looking forward to generations to come back.
Bollywood Rewind | Anari | Chaudhvin Ka Chand | Boot Polish | Do Bigha Zamin | Devdas | Baiju Bawra | Shree 420 | Pyaasa | CID | Madhumati | Naya Daur | Awara | Sharada | Do Aankhen Barah Haath | Bandini | Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Mother India is streaming on YouTube, MXPlayer.
.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
