Page 46 - SeniorsToday May20

Once Upon A Time| Films

No Country

For The Poor

The pathetic condition of the poor and marginalised in India, brought into
the limelight by the Covid-19 crisis, was documented in stark realism by
Bimal Roy, well over 60 years ago, writes Deepa Gahlot

Do Bigha Zamin (1953) a famine-hit village finally gets rains.
The tragedy of migrant workers has been Shambhu Mahato’s (Balraj Sahni) joy is cut
highlighted during the Covid-19 crisis— short when he learns that the zamindar,
those people from rural areas who are forced Thakur Harnam Singh (Murad) wants to
to go to the cities to earn a living because sell his land for the construction of a factory,
there are no employment opportunities and only Shambhu’s meagre two bighas (less
in villages. They live in the city in squalid than an acre) stands in the way. When the
conditions, several packed in a room, and poor farmer refuses to sell, Harnam Singh
send money home, doing menial low-paid
jobs. However, as their troubles during the
pandemic showed, nobody cares for them
and they belong nowhere.
In 1953, inspired by the Vittorio De Sica
classic Bicycle Thieves (1948), Bimal Roy
made Do Bigha Zamin, which is considered
one of the first neo realistic films in India.
The title came from a Tagore poem, the idea
from a Salil Chowdhury story. (In return
for parting with the rights, he wanted to
compose music for the film).
The film opens on a note of hope when Shambhu and his family return, to find their land
auctioned off

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