Page 43 - Seniorstoday January 2024 Issue

1950s, many kids in Pyaasa (1957):
East Europe were Guru Dutt starred
named Raj and Nargis. in his own brooding
This could be said to be classic about Vijay,
the first crossover film an idealistic poet in a
before the term was materialistic world.
coined. Written by KA The film co-starred
Abbas and directed by Waheeda Rehman as
Kapoor, the story of a Gulabo, a prostitute
poor thief, who eventually comes face to in love with Vijay,
face with his estranged father (Prithviraj who cares about him when the others in
Kapoor) in court, as his lady love (Nargis) his life either reject or deceive him. With
defends him, the film and its music by stunning VK Murthy cinematography,
Shankar-Jaikishen was a craze in Asia, studded with melodious SD Burman songs
Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean, and evocative lyrics by Sahir Ludhianvi,
apart from the Soviet Union. Raj Kapoor’s the film is a strong indictment of the greed
tramp character inspired by Charlie and callousness of the modern world.
Chaplin, stayed with him for many films
after this. Mother India (1957):
Mehboob Khan’s epic
Do Bigha Zamin (1953): about Radha (Nargis),
Bimal Roy has made who fights to raise her
many successful films, children with great
but this heart-rending difficulty, but never
portrayal of the poor giving up on her
in India remains his principles is seen as
greatest masterpiece. an example of female
Inspired by Italian empowerment. The
neo-realistic cinema, shocking climax in which she shoots her
particularly Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle own outlaw son (played by Sunil Dutt, who
Thieves, the film about a debt-ridden went on to marry Nargis) is still one of the
farmer Shambhu’s desperate attempt to most powerful in Indian cinema. The film,
save his land was among the earliest of the a remake of the director’s own earlier film,
parallel cinema movement in India. Balraj Aurat, won every award and accolade,
Sahni’s performance as the farmer, who was a huge box-office success and the
migrates to Kolkata and pulls a rickshaw first Indian film to be nominated for an
to earn money, was one of the greatest in Academy Award.
Indian films.
Based on a Rabindranath Tagore Mughal-e-Azam (1960):
story, with a screenplay by Hrishikesh K Asif took a decade to make this grand
Mukherjee, the film also starred Nirupa historical romance, but chiselled every
Roy and Ratan Kumar as Shambhu’s wife frame to perfection. Starring Dilip Kumar
and son. as Prince Salim who rebels against his

SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #55 | JANUARY 2024 43