Mother India is an epic and blockbuster movie which was released on February 14, 1957 in India. Mother India was one of the most expensive Hindi movie productions and generated the highest revenue than any other Indian film during that time.
The movie, written, produced and directed by Mehboob Khan, features Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar in the lead roles. The movie is a remake of film Aurat (1940) and based on the story of a poor village woman who, in the absence of her husband, conflicts to raise her sons and survive against a crafty money-lender amid many difficulties.
With inflation adjusted, Mother India continues to be one of India’s all-time box office success movies. The movie received the Filmfare Best Film Award for 1957, as well as All India Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film. Moreover, Nargis took home the Filmfare Best Actress Award in 1958, becoming the first Indian to receive the Best Actress award, on the hand, Mehboob Khan won the Best Director award.
Story of Mother India
The movie starts with the construction completion of a water canal in the village. Radha (played by Nargis), considered as the mother of the village, is requested to inaugurate the water canal and she recalls her past when she was newly married.
Radha’s marriage with Shamu (played by Raaj Kumar) is paid for by her mother-in-law, who borrows the money from the lender named Sukhilala. The terms of the loan are under dispute and after that Shamu and Radha are obliged to pay three-quarters of their harvest for interest. As Shamu works hard to put more of their rocky land into utilization, his arms are crushed by a rock. Shamu feels shame for his helplessness and being humiliated by Sukhilala, he decides to leave his family and walk away his village.
A severe storm and the ensuing flood destroy the houses and the crops in the village. While the villagers first begin to move out of the village, they decide to stay and reconstruct it, convinced by Radha. A few years later, her two children Birju (played by Sunil Dutt) and Ramu (played by Rajendra Kumar), were young men.
One day after being provoked due to Sukhilala, Birju’s anger becomes dangerous and he is driven out of the village. Radha pledges to Sukhilala not to let Birju hurt Sukhilala’s family. On the day of Rupa’s wedding, Birju comes back with his gang of bandits to take revenge, and kills Sukhilala and kidnaps Sukhilala’s daughter. When Birju tries to run away from the village on horseback, Radha shoots him and he dies in her arms. The film ends with the opening of the canal and the red water flowing into the fields.
Songs
- “Chundariya Katati Jaye” by Manna Dey
- “Duniya Mein Hum Aaye Hain” by Lata Mangeshkar, Meena Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar
- “Ghunghat Nahin Kholoongi Saiyan” by Lata Mangeshkar
- “Holi Aayi Re Kanhai” by Shamshad Begum
- “Matwala Jiya Dole Piya” by Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi
- “Na Main Bhagwan Hoon” by Mohammed Rafi
- “Nagari Nagari Dware Dware” by Lata Mangeshkar
- “O Gaadiwale” by Shamshad Begum, Mohammed Rafi
- “O Janewalo Jao Na” by Lata Mangeshkar
- “O Mere Lal Aaja” by Lata Mangeshkar
- “Ghunghat Nahin Kholoongi Saiyan” by Lata Mangeshkar
Cast of the Movie
Nargis as Radha, an archetypal Indian woman
Sunil Dutt as Birju, the younger son of Radha
Rajendra Kumar as Ramu, the elder son of Radha
Raaj Kumar as Shamu, the husband of Radha
Kanhaiya Lal as Sukhilala
Jilloo Maa as Sundar-Chachi, the mother-in-law of Radha
Kumkum as Champa, the wife of Ramu
Chanchal as Rupa, the daughter of Sukhilala
Sheela Naik as Kamala, a family friend
Muqri as Shambu, a family friend and Kamala’s husband
Sitara Devi as Holi Dancer
Azra as Chandra, daughter of a schoolmaster of the village