HT

The Indian freedom struggle had inspired generations. And the ones most influenced were those who'd been exposed to heroic deeds, of the leaders and the common man alike. The struggle had created many heroes whose lives were worthy of being recreated on the big screen. And cinema turned out to be the ideal space and medium for both - expression and inspiration.

The maximum number of patriotic films emerged between the 1940s and the 1960s and then the genre briefly resurfaced during 1980s-90s. Filmmakers like Hemen Gupta, Phani Majumdar, Chetan Anand, Manoj Kumar, Sohrab Modi and Khwaja Ahmed Abbas all gave to the Indian cine-goers many a memorable patriotic film. Foremost among these makers was Hemen Gupta who had been imprisoned several times during the British rule of account of revolutionary activities.

The first film that he made was Bhuli Nai in 1948. Set in 1905 in the aftermath of the Bengal Partition, the film chronicles the movements of a secret organization who wishes to rid the country of foreign domination by resorting to violence. Most of the protagonists turn martyrs for the Cause. However, it is ironic that the film got into censorship troubles in a free India which was meant to protect the right to expression.

Gupta next venture was Forty Two (1949), based on a real incident which took place during the Quit India Movement in 1942. A crowd of unarmed demonstrators march to the local police headquarters. Alarmed at the numbers, the police opens fire and kills several of them but is forced to surrender eventually. The jubilant crowds then hoist the National flag and holds the headquarters for a day, until British airplanes bombs the area.
The film once again ran afoul of the censors and it was banned in Bengal by the Censor Board Chief.

Gupta moved to Bombay at the behest of Filmistan Studios and made Anand Math (1952) which also faced flak from the Censors. Based on the novel of the same name by Bankim Chandra, the story is set in the 18th century and revolves around a group of mystics who rose against the British colonial rule. The film is best remembered for the inspirational number Vande Mataram (in itself a controversial song during its time) sung by Lata Mangeshkar and picturised on Geeta Bali in the climax of the film.

K. A. Abbas was another filmmaker who attempted the patriotic genre. Among other notables was Saat Hindustani (1969). Though the film didn't do well at the box-office, it exemplifies the cliché unity in diversity. The film has seven heroes - from seven different regions of the country - who unite to free Goa from a Portuguese ruler along with a freedom fighter of Portuguese descent Maria. The film is recalled most often for being the debut film of Amitabh Bachchan, now an icon of the mainstream Hindi cinema.

Other filmmakers like Chetan Anand also made patriotic films. Among Anand's best remembered is Haqeeqat (1964) based on the 1964 Indo-China war, with Balraj Sahni Vijay Anand and Dharmendra in pivotal roles. The film was among the first in the mainstream to document the horrors of war and not glorify it. Calling a spade a spade, Anand's film talks about an incident in which an Indian patrolling party is more or less wiped out in a mountain battle.

The party, led by Balraj Sahni, suffers more because of the mismanagement and mistakes of the battle commanders and holds them responsible for India's defeat in the war. Haqeeqat is today considered among the classics of Indian cinema. The song 'Ai mere watan ke logon' by Lata Mangeshkar is one of the most moving among her renditions, as it appeals to the citizens to spare a thought for those who give up their lives to keep a nation free.

No mention of Hindi patriotic cinema can be complete without the mention of Manoj Kumar who spent the better part of his life making only patriotic films. In fact, his patriotic fervour extended to the extent of he being named 'Bharat' in film after film. Among his best are Shaheed (1969), Upkar, Purab Aur Paschim and Kranti.

The first based on the life of the young revolutionary Shaheed Bhagat Singh who along with his comrades Sukhdev and Rajguru was hanged for throwing a bomb in the Assembly and the killing of a British officer, still makes hair stand on end with its moving dialogues and nationalist songs like Mera rang de basanti chola, which the threesome sang as they cheerfully went to the gallows. Kumar convincingly played Bhagat Singh in one of his best performances. In fact, the life of Bhagat Singh spawned at least five more films as recently as 2000-2001 (with stars like Ajay Devgan and Bobby Deol in the leads), but none comes even close to the original!

These are but some of examples on celluloid that have moved and inspired Indian audiences and inspired filmmakers to create more. Only classics recur but rarely.