Rewrite this essay to match the rubric:
Introduction: Opening lines should include information about the film, the year it was released, and the main actors in the film. Something like: Film 1 Name (19xx, Starring Name Last Name, Name Last Name, and Name Last Name), Film 2 Name (20xx, Starring Name Last Name, Name Last Name, and Name Last Name) (the number of words in this part will not be counted towards the final word limit)
Paragraph 1: Brief description of plot of film 1 and the major theme of film 1. Brief description of plot of film 2 and the major theme of film 2. (200-300 words)
Paragraph 2: Why are the films compared to each other? Think of this part as a way to understand the reasons behind your choice of the two films and the reason for juxtaposing the films with each other in the comparative analysis. This is the section where you can underline the way the themes of the films have evolved, their relationship to citizenship has evolved, or their place in Indian history as presented in the class (250-350 words)
Paragraph 3: How do the films you work with speak to citizenship in India? Are justice or diversity expressed in these films and are there any reflections on citizens’ rights and responsibilities in these films? If the films do not speak to these points at all, explain whether they should have and how they could have done so? (150-250 words)
Paragraph 4: How do the two readings you work with speak to the film? You can weave in the readings in your review with paragraphs 3 or 4 above but if you can’t, paragraph 4 would be the place for it (150-250 words)


Essay start:

Vishva Bhavsar, Rosemary Cochran, Erich Boschert 

Professor Ila Nagar 

SASIA 3625 

8 March 2024 

A Comparative Analysis of Peepli Live and Upkar  

In the large landscape of Indian cinema, movies often reflect the nuances of the society from which they emerge. Upkar (1967, starring Manoj Kumar, Asha Parekh, and Prem Chopra), directed by Manoj Kumar, is one such film that became culturally significant during the post-independence era, becoming a prime example of the history of India grappling with its newfound identity. Now, nearly over four decades since its release, Peepli Live (2010, starring Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghuvir Yadav, and Shalini Vatsa), directed by Anusha Rizvi, emerged as a satirical commentary pertaining to farmer suicides and the connections between media sensationalism and political apathy in modern India. Both films, separated by years of evolution and shifts in storytelling, serve as artifacts that bind the larger Indian narrative and as a form of a time capsule for the nation's cultural evolution. This essay seeks to unravel the connections between Upkar and Peepli Live, exploring how these films, each in its own era, offer a mirror to the Indian society’s ongoing dialogue with issues of morality, duty, and survival against the backdrop of nation-building and economic progress.  

Upkar is a timeless Bollywood film that has won critically acclaimed awards for its contribution to Indian entertainment. This film revolves around the lives of two brothers: Bharat and Puran. Bharat is an honest, hardworking man who sacrifices his allowance for his younger brother’s education - who moves to the city and is exposed to western, modern ideals. After Puran returns to the village, he is different: Puran is replaced by Kumar – who is an individualistic, cruel man who deteriorates his relationship with Bharat by dividing the family farm. Throughout the film, Bharat is represented as a farmer and a soldier – representing the two most respected occupations of post-independence India. The movie has undertones of nation-building and patriotism, which are clearly highlighted in the film's popular songs. Peepli Live is an exceptional drama that looks at a lower-class farming family’s struggle against media outlets, politicians, and mortgage lenders. The main protagonist of the film, Natha and his brother, Budhia, are on the verge of losing their sacred farmland due to their inability to pay back bank loans. Over a chat with their fellow companions, Natha and Budhia learn of a government program that financially compensates the families of farmers who decide to end their life. When Natha decides to sacrifice his life for the good of the family, journalists caught a wind of his story, and flood to his home is Peepli, documenting his every move and questioning whether Natha will go about the promise he made to his debilitating family. Peepli Live analyzes the breakdown of the relationship and trust between the Indian government and her citizens.  

There is a sharp contrast between the relationship of the two sets of brothers in Upkar and Peepli Live. Bharat and Puran are displayed to show affection to one another. Even though the two boys were not related to one another by blood, they took care of one another. In fact, Bharat sacrifices his education and spends the money he made on the farm on Puran’s continued education in the city. Even when the two brothers conflicted, Bharat was shown as optimistic who believed his relationship with his baby brother would be healed. The tension of the financial situation left Natha and Budhia to have a more tense relationship. In the film, Natha and Budhia are not shown to be affectionate with one another; in fact, the older brother tries to convince the younger brother to end his own life! What kind of brother would convince his sibling to end his life even when he has children and a wife? While one film emphasizes nation-building and fuels the audience with a sense of patriotism, the other film causes one to question the government and its ability to take care of the citizens. The contrast of the themes that emerge from the films reflect the history of India surrounding the time when the films were made. Upkar was released just a few decades after India’s independence; the government was teemed with freedom fighters and Indian loyalists who strengthened the relationship between the Indian government and its citizens and to encourage one to support their nation.  Peepli Live, on the other hand, was produced during turmoil in India. As India progressed, the government became regressive; it failed to uphold the promises that the freedom fighters made to Indian citizens post-independence, and this is reflected in the way the politicians treat the lower-class citizens in Peepli Live  

The name of the lead role in Upkar is intentional: Bharat is an alias for India. The introduction of Bharat sets the film up as a nationalistic project, with Bharat being characterized as an ideal Indian man residing in post-independence India. This film's patriotic theme is further propelled by music, a prominent characteristic of Bollywood films (Ganti, 96). The iconic song, “Mere Desh Ki Dharti”, resonates in Indian society to this day. In this sequence, Bharat glamorizes the farm and the rural, village life – a clear usage of music to embrace traditional Indian values. This message is further driven into the mind of the screen-watchers with shots throughout the film that depict Bharat’s farm as a heavenly sanctuary. Upkar uses music to denounce western ideals; “Gulabi Raat Gulabi” highlights a night filled with drinking, smoking and premarital sex – along with vamps. Amita Nijhawan in “Excusing the Female Dancer: Tradition and Transgression in Bollywood Dancing” describes the vamp as a tortured female entertainer that is associated with sexuality and ill-vices (104). The producers of Upkar made it clear to cast a separate individual to play the vamp role for the item song sequence and a separate female for the lead. The vamp wears distinctive costumes that one would never imagine the female lead to play; she is seen wearing revealing, indecent outfits during her minor part of the film, while Dr. Kavita is seen wearing white sarees. Dr. Kavita’s costumes, along with her overall portrayal in the film, are used to signify her purity. Only at the end of the film do we see Dr. Kavita is wearing a red sari and a red sindoor to indicate her marital status. The comparison between the two women shows what an ideal Indian female citizen should be: someone who is educated, gentle, and nation oriented. The vamp is shown to be the opposite of the fact, and thus, she can be seen as the complete destruction to Indian society due to influence of the West.   

While the farmers in Upkar were shown to be well-respected, Peepli Live shows the farmers to be the complete opposite. Instead of improving their financial situation, Natha and Budhia are shown to spend their time engaging in frowned-upon activities. The depiction of the politicians also further drives the argument of the distrustfulness around the Indian government. The politicians in the film would try to appear benevolent to the poor in front of the camera, but their true individualistic motive was to stop the suicide attempt. At the end of the film, the government does not end up giving the family financial aid after Natha “dies.” This further gives Indian citizens a reason to not trust their government in the 21st century.  

Upkar and Peepli Live depict everyday life, social norms, and people's interactions with their families, community, and the government. Both Bollywood films focused on family interactions with each other. Upkar has a positive message of sacrifice for family and blessings will flow even.  In Peepli Live, everyone was focused on their individual happiness. Because of selfishness, people do not get a happy ending. These two movies give an idea of how the people of India have changed as India has progressed from a relatively newly independent nation in the 1960s to starting to become a world power in 2010.               

 

Works Cited 

Ganti, Tejaswini. Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema. Routledge. 

Nijhawan, Amita. “Excusing the female dancer: Tradition and transgression in Bollywood dancing.” South Asian Popular Culture, vol. 7, no. 2, July 2009, pp. 99–112.