Mother India

Plot synopsis:
The film is set in 1957, the present day at the time of shooting. When construction of an irrigation canal to the village is completed, Radha (Nargis), considered to be the "mother" of the village, is asked to inaugurate the canal. She remembers her past, when she was newly married.
The wedding between Radha and Shamu (Raaj Kumar) is paid for by Radha's mother-in-law, who borrows the money from the moneylender Sukhilala. The conditions of the loan are disputed, but the village elders decide in favour of the moneylender, after which Shamu and Radha are forced to pay three quarters of their crop as interest on the loan of ₹500 (valued at about US$105 in 1957). While Shamu works to bring more of their rocky land into use, his arms are crushed by a boulder. Ashamed of his helplessness (being without arms) and humiliated by Sukhilala for living on the earnings of his wife, Shamu decides that he is of no use to his family and permanently leaves Radha and their three sons, walking to his own probable death by starvation. Soon after, Radha's youngest son and her mother-in-law die. A severe storm and the resulting flood destroys houses in the village and ruins the harvest. Sukhilala offers to save Radha and her sons if she trades her body to him for food. Radha vehemently refused his offer, but had to also lose her infant (her fourth son) to the atrocities of the storm. Although the villagers begin initially to evacuate the village, they decide to stay and rebuild it, persuaded by Radha.
Several years later, Radha's two surviving children, Birju (Sunil Dutt) and Ramu (Rajendra Kumar), are young men. Birju, embittered since childhood by the demands of Sukhilala, takes out his frustrations by pestering the village girls, especially Sukhilala's daughter, Rupa. Ramu, by contrast, has a calmer temperament and is married soon after. Birju's anger finally becomes dangerous and, after being provoked, he attacks Sukhilala and his daughter and steals Radha's kangan (marriage bracelets) that were pawned with Sukhilala. He is chased out of the village and becomes a bandit. Radha promises Sukhilala that she will not let Birju cause harm to Sukhilala's family. On Rupa's wedding day, Birju returns with his gang of bandits to exact his revenge. He kills Sukhilala and kidnaps Rupa. When he tries to flee the village on his horse, Radha, his mother, shoots him. He dies in her arms. The film returns to 1957; Radha opens the gate of the canal and its reddish water flows into the fields.

Tags: revenge, melodrama

Review:
Mother India sits right at the top and shares the seat with just a handful of other movies as one of the best films ever made in Indian Film History.
Deservedly, it also garnered an Oscar Nomination for Best Foreign Film - a first for Bollywood.
The injustice to and torture of their mother is interpreted in opposite ways by her children: while the elder Ramu is humble and just, the younger Birju who seethes with hatred for Sukhi Lal turns outlaw.
While Radha tries to bring back Birju with love, Birju plans to finish Sukhi Lal's debt once and for all.Mehboob Khan had made some good movies in his career, including a milestone first all-colour (technicolor) Bollywood feature.
Defying a very many stereotypes, his was the first major Hindi film with a female protagonist, a cowardly abandoning husband (how RajKumar, men of men, agreed for that role is another story), no definitive hero-heroine pairs, etc.
We see her go from an innocent bride to an anguished mother to a revered "Mother" of the village.Nargis herself is most remembered for this career-defining and image-breaking portrayal (soon after which she married Sunil Dutt, who portrayed her bitter son Birju*).
His Birju is played with such realism and conviction that even today many comedians mimicking Sunil Dutt are actually mimicking Birju.The director's production team does work beyond their era and workstyle to create the look of the people and place over time.
Depicting his motherland as a repressed and abandoned woman, and her children as peace-loving Gandhi-Ramu or rebellious Bose-Birju, Mehboob layers his movie with such fierce passion, it is impossible not to be overwhelmed by it..
Mehboob Khan's Mother India reserves a special place among all time great and memorable Mega Hit films.
Nargis has consummately performed a versatile role of a mature Indian mother who would not allow her own son to rob the honor of their village at any cost.
The climactic last scene of the epic, where Radha shoots her son in the back, while Birju was all set to kidnap the cruel money lender's daughter is a tragedy sequence that can be commensurately compared with the ending of another emotionally charged film - Shakti, where Dilip Kumar shoots in the back of his son "Amitabh".However, Birju's angry performance in this movie steals the show at many a times; for instance, when he argues with his mother and brother about the greedy Bania moneylender who had fleeced their family from all earthly possessions through the odiously manipulative annual interest rate charged by him, although they have toiled day and night to return the debt.It is a great melodramatic picture, containing magnificent performance by Nargis and Sunil Dutt, while manifesting the impoverished economic conditions and abysmal living standards of a typical Indian rural family who were driven in utter disgust, shame and tragedy due to the volatile temper of one of their family members.
However, seething poverty was not the sole reason which perturbed Birju (Sunil Dutt) to become an outlaw and murder Sukhi Lala (the rapacious money lender), but the very ominous and cruel person hidden in the money lender, who, in a backward rural social setup took full benefit/advantage of the poor, illiterate and weak elements of village social order.Besides, the strong and moving story line, Faredoon has captured mesmerizing stills providing an excellent background setting of the full horizon picture down to the ground level with spreading murky clouds at dusk against the backdrop of silhouetted actors.It is definitely a must see movie having marvelous and stupendous cinematography, as well..
A rich story, excellent acting, great songs, technically superb.
The story is about Radha played by Nargis who works hard to bring up her two children, played by Sunil Dutt and Rajender Kumar, after her husband goes away.
Birju played by Dutt is the more flamboyant one who gets in trouble with the village Lala's daughter and runs away and becomes a dacoit.
This Mehboob Khan's effort came very close to winning the Oscar for the Best Foreign Film.
During the shooting of this film Dutt saved Nargis from a fire and soon after that they were married.Naushad's music is another highlight of the film with some great songs like "Duniya Mein Hum Aaye Hain", "Nagri-Nagri Dware-Dware", "Holi Aayi Re Kanhai", "Tan Rang Lo Ji" etc.All in all, this is possibly one of the best Hindi films ever made..
But in Indian movies, the musical numbers are spellbinding!
Mehboob makes Nargis "Mother India".
In present day India, elderly mother Nargis (as Radha) is reluctant to attend the ceremony opening a new water canal for her village.
They do not seem to be aware of the fact, but Mr. Kanhaiyalal has cheated them out of land and future profits...Dealing with the money-lender meant Nargis and her family work harder and harder, for less and less.
And, you won't have any trouble finding him - young Khan takes over the screen for a good portion of the movie...Khan grows up to be Sunil Dutt (as the adult Birju).
Nargis loves and protects her son, but wants to honor the community's decisions regarding the old loan and "interest" agreed upon.
This leads to a conflict between "Mother India" and son...This classic film was an huge critical and commercial success; it almost won the "Academy Award" for best foreign language film of 1957.
"Mother India" isn't easy to watch, however, even if you like foreign films.
******* Mother India (2/14/57) Mehboob Khan ~ Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Sajid Khan, Rajendra Kumar.
A strong story line depicting the values and tribulations of rural India,this movie is backed up by some very powerful performances.All from Nargis,Suniel Dutt,Rajendra Kumar to Kanahiya lal are superb.
Such a vivid interplay of emotions which are very close to the native Indian sensibilities is hardly ever seen in Indian cinema.The title is apt too surely this is the MOTHER India of all Indian films!.
This was a movie about a strong woman of honor, Radha (Nargis)  and her family, a usurious man, and the poor village they live in.
Though the situation keeps the woman's family downtrodden financially, she staunchly preserves her pride and dignity.One of her sons, Birju (Sunil Dutt), is portrayed as always being a "problem" right from childhood, and while I could understand his rage against the moneylender, I found his vengeance hard to believe, especially the self-destruction that pitted him against his own family members.
I like the ending and really laud Radha, who realized that one's dignity and honor is priceless and shouldn't be bartered away.I found the film to be too long (it lasted around 3 hours); the story could have been just as compelling if it were an hour shorter.
I saw it as part of an Indian film festival, where it was projected on a movie screen from DVD and had English subtitles..
This movie is one of the greatest products of Indian cinema.
This movie was also path breaking for Nargis, as it was her first after her split with RK banners and Raj Kapoor - the first and best showman of Indian cinema.
Mother India----Definitely the greatest film ever made in Bollywood I watched it few months back only.And in many many scenes it almost brought tears in my eyes.The struggle for survival,the fight against injustice and living with moral can melt any1's heart who understands the true meaning of cinema.A helpless mother fighting for survival alongwith her small children's can run any1 in a melange of emotions bringing the worst image of poverty and illiteracyMother India was such a flick which have the ability to put many of the greatest cinema from Hollywood into shame.It shows how realistic and impactfull a bollywood cinema can be.Its sad that it only got nominated for Oscar in best foreign language category but was not able to win But i can say with utmost surity if Hollywood's biggest Blockbuster ever 'Gone With The Wind' can win 9 Oscars...then Mother India if made in Hollywood have won at least 3-4 Oscars.....Mother India seems to be forgotten by the people.They took Sholay or DDLJ name but not this timeless and haunting ground to earth classic most probably cause it doesn't feature Amitabh Bachchan or SRKWith one of the most path breaking climax for a bollywood flick Mother India for a Hollywood fan like me was a dream coming true I can take its name alongside Hollywood classics like 'Gone With The Wind',Schindler's List etcOne such flick which makes me proud that ever i got a chance to show how great a bollywood is then without a blink of my eye i will took Mother India.DDLJ or Sholay are entertainers but they are not totally realistic.Mother India's each and every frame....each and every shot was realistic and believableMother India is a triumph of bollywood in film making and direction Not to forget the unforgettable performances by Nargis and Sunil DuttIt makes me feel proud for bollywood.I can held my head high in any film festival of the world if i am showcasing Mother IndiaOnly special effects and different stories cant help to move forward.Long live bollywood.We have the potential of world class cinema.We need directors like 'Mehboob Khan'And its an honour,respect and matter of pride that bollywood made Mother IndiaMother India is Mother of all bollywood flicks till date10/10.
India has produced great music directors for movies.
Nargis did a great job in this movie along with other actors and actresses.
Turner Classic Movies just played this nearly three-hour Indian epic and I decided to give it a try, despite TCM host Robert Osborne's caveat that its length might seem a daunting viewing challenge, but one that would prove rewarding by its eventual conclusion.
In fact it had long since overflowed, much like the farms after a terrific monsoon during one of the film's earlier episodes.The video transfer of the original Gevacolor negative (apparently an unstable single-strip process), with prints by Technicolor, looked pretty good on Turner's presentation, with some ravishing shots during the opening wedding sequence and the occasional insert of glowing sunsets, etc.
the tedium of the endless travails of the central protagonists, bedevilled by the almost cartoonish evil of Sukhilala (played by an energetic actor named Kanhaiyalal), a villain so heartless he makes Simon Legree look like the endlessly compassionate Mother Teresa of Calcutta.The actress Nargis, playing Radha, the matriarch around whom this mostly sad tale revolves, is a standout in a cast most of whom seem to have been encouraged to overact to an almost absurd histrionic intensity.
If you like screen exotica, liberally spiced with production numbers sung in Hindi that frequently seem to exceed the length of an entire Hollywood film from the Golden Age of Movie Musicals, then this just may be your dish of curry.
Wonderful natural and educational story of Indian life ethics and culture..
Mother India is a wonderful natural and educational story of Indian life ethics and culture.
Some wonderful cinematography that really does create an atmosphere of old India.If you know nothing of Asian cultures, then this is one film that I would say that all people from the west should watch if they want to understand Asia and the values of its people, as they were nearly 100 years ago, and in many ways the values that those communities who live among you in the west, have inherited from their parents who migrated to the west during that time.You have to be a little understanding, but it is a truly heartwarming film, one for a romantic educational night in with your nearest and dearest I would say..
The reason was the superb performance by Nargis in the movie.
Possibly a magnificent portrayal by an actress in a movie, Nargis pulled a character not withholding the burden, humiliation and suffering she endured - just because of her love for her sons.
And the ending in such heart hammering way, perfectly crowning the character Mother India.
But no matter the struggles, always sticks to her own moral code."All Hindi films come from Mother India," said Javed Akhtar, the Hindi cinema poet, lyricist and scriptwriter.
It does seem to be a very strong touchstone of Indian cinema, and one of the earliest films from India to get an international audience fawning.But this is, perhaps paradoxically, the reason I do not care for the film.
Let me start of by saying that I can definitely appreciate a good and honest Indian drama but that I'm not really into the more typical Bollywood kind of melodrama's, such as this movie is obviously being.
In my opinion you just can't have a real good and powerful drama when your movie is so colorful looking and features happy songs and dancing.
I can still definitely watch this movie and also still appreciate it for most part but I just can't really see how this movie can be regarded as an emotionally strong one and one of the greatest- and best known Indian movies.It's an heavy handed movie, that is being quite long with its running time of nearly 3 hours.
The movie can get real amateur like looking to be honest at times, when it comes down to its directing.No, it's not an horrible movie by any means but I still can't really seem to understand why it's being regarded so highly, not only just by Bollywood-fans but by all sorts of movie viewers, from all over the world, while its in fact being an heavily flawed movie.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/.
One of the pinnacles of world cinema, after all these years Mother India still has the power to put you through an emotional mangle showing the relentless battle against poverty of all kinds.
It was a seminal film, a nowhere near perfect roller-coaster that emotionally engages the viewer immediately to the bittersweet end.In flashback the story is family take a loan from a moneylender to pay for a wedding and stay in debt for decades simply repaying the interest and not even touching the principal.
Even if it's Nargis's film there's still some fine acting from Raaj Kumar (whether living or from the beyond), Rajendra Kumar and the manic Sunil Dutt.As the point behind the film is not entirely lost on me in that the bitterness of the hopeless past was to be replaced with the optimism of the future India, proud of its tradition but full of the vim needed to be a world power may I sorrowfully point out: British rule certainly did the Indian peasant no favours, but the Indian capitalist class simply continues with that policy against worker and peasant alike.
The whole epic doesn't seem too long to me (and Bir Ju's story in full could've added hours to it), but beauty is in the eyes – and ears – of the beholder; a wonderful tale, keep right on to the end of the road..
If, like me, you're fairly new to Indian cinema and think, as I did, that it's all singing and dancing Bollywood, here is a brilliant mix of what we might expect and an epic tale that we in the West can really appreciate and enjoy.I'd only been to the monochrome world of Indian director Satyajit Ray before and frankly, I didn't seem to appreciate those as much as many do.
There is a huge sweep of panoramic camera as harvesting scenes, rivalling that of Russian propaganda films and bright sharp colours fill every frame.Nargis, as peasant woman, played by actress Radha, tells us the epic story of her life in flashback, charting how, as a young bride, she arrived at a farm mortgaged to an unscrupulous moneylender.
Her husband is then injured in an accident and abandons her and their children, Radha perseveres to bring up her sons and cultivate the land.As is often, so far as I can tell, the case with Indian drama, the family and its issues are paramount and great lengths are taken to explore all moral angles and Mother Earth is no different.Yes, it does swell into high emotion and near melodrama but that's Indian cinema for you, but equally pathos and despair are equally and dramatically handled.
Any foreign film, in this case Indian, that features in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, is obviously one I will see.
Basically 'mother' of the village Radha (Nargis) opens the canal, and goes into a flashback to the past where she was newly married to husband Shamu (Raaj Kumar), with the wedding paid for by her mother in law, with money lent by Sukhilala (Kanhaiyalal).
After this, Radha's mother in law dies, while she continues to work in the fields, and gives birth to another child, and she refuses more help from Sukhilala.
It then moves to a few years later, where Radha's two surviving children, Birju (Sunil Dutt) and Ramu (Rajendra Kumar) have grown up to be young men.
Ramu is fine, but Birju is a bad tempered son taking all his frustrations on village girls, especially Sukhilala's daughter.
Radha promises Birju would never come to harm, despite knowing how dangerous he has become, but after he kills Sukhilala and the daughter, she has no choice but to shoot him.
This is where the film returns to the present day, seeing Radha see the newly opened canal river run red like blood.
The performances by Nargis as the devoted mother and Dutt as the violent son are very well done, there may not be much realism in the situations portrayed, but with some likable songs and the spectacle, this is a worthwhile drama.
It was nominated the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Best movie of Bollywood.
Some of best scenes are in first half which keeps audience mourning all the time.
This was the finest of masterpiece of the golden era of bollywood, and feeling sad that only few movies today are honoring the glory of bollywood like Mother India did.