Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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98 of 101 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
1957 blockbuster - A strong emotional drama., 1 Oct 2003
By A Customer
Mehboob Khan’s blockbuster movie of 1957, Mother India is one of the best Indian classics I have ever seen. Story goes like this.
Radha, a shy, young bride, played by Nargis, comes into Shamu's (Raaj Kumar's) house and learns that her husband's land lies mortgaged. When a greedy uncle, Kanhaiyalal strips Radha and Shamu’s of their land, desperate Radha suggests cultivating a barren, rocky piece of land. But their precious bullock dies and Shamu's hands are crushed while working. Disappointed Shamu leaves home, leaving Radha searching for him.
To survive, Radha prepares the land herself. But a chain of tragedies dashes all her hopes. But a very determined Radha rebuilds her life every time, demonstrating incomparable strength, love and determination to live and to look after her children. Here more characters (both good and bad) enters the scene, and makes Radha’s life even harder. This movie is about how forgiving a woman can be, and the endless sacrifices she is ready to do for others. Mother India is a great film that depicts life in rural India of 1950s and how the human spirit holds life together. Great movie.
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54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The mother of all Indian films, 27 Mar 2008
Mother India is probably the greatest film in the history of Indian cinema and looking back it should have got an Academy award in the foreign film category. It depicts the lifelong struggles of Radha, a woman in a rural Indian village that is being oppressed by a greedy money-lender. By enduring her husband's incapacitation and later departure, facing poverty, natural disaster, death of a child and the choice between her son and the law, she demonstrates how women are the pillar on which families and homes are built.
The cast is top drawer; Nargis and Sunil Dutt play the lead roles (they actually tied the knot after this film), with support from Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar and Kanhaiyalal, all excelling under the inspired direction of Mehboob Khan. The music by Naushad is unforgettable with songs that are still played in many households today. On top of that the movie is entirely in colour which is rare for 1950s Indian cinema, but a treat as we can appreciate the vivid colours of Indian dress, dwellings and countryside during that period. They certainly don't make Indian films like this anymore.
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30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
an indian GONE WITH THE WIND , 30 Sep 2008
This was conceived as an an indian gone with the wind in spirit,it was made as a stylish epic on the woes and sufferrings of indian womanhood and thus reflects the importance of the woman as a matriarch in a culture defined by the matron.
It'S immense popularity also bears witness to the genius of Mehboob who is able to invent a character and cast it perfectly with Nargis to create a folk tale and also great music and cinematography from the rural locales,the peasants and their traditions are shown immaculately with stark realism -also the attitudes of the villagers are truly shown in the ambiance of an indian rural setting in a true reflection of the real indian farmer and his ordinary life.
But it is the trivia and the realism which make this movie great as every set detail and costumes smack of reality as does the floods and the rains and the harvesting scenes ,its a chunk from the heart of an indian peasant and its simple and pure just like its origonal protagonist.
It's appeal is eternal and is more popular today then when it was made like Sound of music and My fair lady,cliched but great story telling and as for the songs,indians cannot do anthing from birth to death witout music and dancing.
From the western eye view it is totally removed from Pathar panchali or Boot polish as much as Sound of music is from Citizen kane or Gone with the wind -this is popular art which is both melodramatic and like a great soap opera but it still is great art ,
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