Description: Format: NTSC, Color, SubtitledSubtitles: EnglishRegion: All RegionsSee Photo for more details Mother India is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film Aurat (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village woman named Radha (Nargis), who in the absence of her husband, struggles to raise her sons and survive against a cunning money-lender amidst many troubles. The title of the film was chosen to counter American author Katherine Mayo's 1927 polemical book Mother India, which vilified Indian culture. Allusions to Hindu mythology are abundant in the film, and its lead character has been seen as a metonymic representation of a Hindu woman who reflects high moral values and the concept of what it means to be a mother to society through self-sacrifice. Mother India metaphorically represents India as a nation in the aftermath of its independence in 1947, and alludes to a strong sense of nationalism and nation-building. While some authors treat Radha as the symbol of women empowerment, others see her cast in female stereotypes. The film was shot in Mumbai's Mehboob Studios and in the villages of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. The music by Naushad introduced global music, including Western classical music and orchestra, to Hindi cinema. The film was among the most expensive Hindi cinema (Bollywood) productions and earned the highest revenue for any Indian film at that time. Adjusted for inflation, Mother India still ranks among the all-time Indian box office hits. It was released in India amid fanfare in October 1957 and had several high-profile screenings, including one at the capital, New Delhi, attended by the country's president and prime minister. Mother India became a definitive cultural classic and is regarded as one of the best films in Indian cinema. The film won the All India Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film, the Filmfare Best Film Award for 1957, and Nargis and Khan won the Best Actress and Best Director awards respectively. It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, becoming the first Indian film to be ever nominated. Directed byMehboob KhanWritten byMehboob Khan, Wajahat Mirza, S. Ali RazaBased onAurat' by Mehboob KhanProduced byMehboob KhanCinematographyFaredoon A. IraniEdited byShamsudin KadriMusic byNaushadProduction company; Mehboob ProductionsRelease date; 25 October 1957 (India)Running time172 minutesCountryIndiaLanguageHindi Cast Nargis as Radha, the heroine and an archetypal Indian womanSunil Dutt as Birju, Radha's rebellious younger son, who turns into a banditMaster Sajid as Young BirjuRajendra Kumar as Ramu, Radha's elder son, who follows his mother's path of virtuousnessMaster Surendra as Young RamuRaaj Kumar as Shamu, Radha's husbandKanhaiya Lal as Sukhilala "Lala", a cunning money-lenderJilloo Maa as Sundar-Chachi, the mother-in-law of RadhaKumkum as Champa, the wife of RamuChanchal as Rupa, Sukhilala's daughterSheela Naik as Kamala, a family friendMuqri as Shambu, a family friend, and Kamala's husbandSitaradevi as Holi Dancer Plot (Spoiler Alert) The film opens in the year 1957, the present day at the time of filming. 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 (Kanhaiyalal). 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).[a][b] 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 refuses his offer but has 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, the present day; Radha opens the gate of the canal and its reddish water flows into the fields.
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End Time: 2024-09-13T21:29:57.000Z
Shipping Cost: 3.99 USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money back or replacement (buyer's choice)
Video Format: NTSC
Case Type: Tall/DVD Case
Rating: NR
Subtitle Language: English
Director: Mehboob Khanf
Sub-Genre: Hindi
Studio: Bollywood Ent
Edition: Standard Edition
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Type: Movie
Format: DVD
Region Code: DVD: 0/All (Region Free/Worldwide)
Language: Hindi
Actor: Sunil Dutt, Nargis
Features: Full Screen, With Subtitles
Genre: Foreign Language
Movie/TV Title: Mother India
Season: na