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Monday, September 18

Mother India

by Mike on Mon 18 Sep 2006 01:08 PM EDT

Last week (or maybe it was the week before – they are all running together nowadays), I finally got the chance to see the Bollywood film "Mother India." Mother India was released in 1957 and was directed by Mehboob Khan. I had previously watched Mehboob's film "Amar," which I had understood to be one of Mehboob's personal favorites, but I really did not care for it as much as some of the other Indian films I have seen. Mother India was, however, a phenomenal film and after seeing it I understand why it is among the most celebrated of Bollywood's legendary films.

Since we have two small kids, it is no simple task to watch movies these days, much less a film which features subtitles. Generally, our best chance to watch a film is late at night after the kids are asleep. When we're dealing with long, epic tales like Mother India, we usually have to watch the movie in installments over the course of several nights. So that's exactly what we did with this film. Thomai watched with me sometimes, but other times I would watch installments on my own after she was fast asleep.

Mother India is a tale of tragedy and hardship. The film's heroine, Radha, is portrayed by the Bollywood legend Nargis. Incidentally, my mother-in-law once told me that when she was a child in Greece, the local theaters showed Indian films from time to time and that people would line up around the theaters to watch films featuring Nargis. After watching this film, it is apparent why filmgoers would be so taken with Nargis, as she portrayed the character of Radha with incredible passion and depth.

The story is incredibly – and consistently – sad. After watching the first 45 minutes of the movie, I asked a friend who had seen the film if things were to get any better for the characters and he basically indicated that the entire story a very sad one, indeed. While the story is not without triumphant and inspiring moments it is the hardship endured by the landless villagers at the hands of a greedy moneylender that dominate the tale. Three generations of Radha's struggle under the burden of debt which is complicated by harsh conditions such as flood and famine.

One of my favorite moments in the film is when Radha's son Birju (played by Sunil Dutt) finally returns to the village to take his revenge on the moneylender. We were both on the edge of our seats when he uttered the lines:

I remember everything! I will avenge everything! You are a dacoit. So am I. The law won't spare me. I won't spare you.

I won't give away the ending for anyone who may consider watching the film. But I will say that Thomai and I had some discussion on the final tragic interaction between Radha and Birju and we have some differing opinions on the actions of the respective characters. Suffice it to say that Mother India is not a lighthearted film by any means. It is, nevertheless, an artistic masterpiece that vividly depicts the harsh and painful realities of feudal South Asia.