I am resting today after an outing to the hospital yesterday. Also we had been to Bunnings to get starter kits for some herbs and veggies. The store is in Seven Hills and seriously huge! One can get lost in it. But the reason for this meandering is that pushing the cart and lifting a few things tired me out. All night I kept thinking my hands are hurting and knuckles are swelling up again. At one point I thought maybe I am dreaming this and actually sat up and moved all my fingers. There is some stiffness and pain so it cannot be a dream. So the need to chill out today.
As I was browsing through the YouTube for Bollywood songs I found this old song from a movie Apna Desh. I had seen it with my sister when it first came out and the songs from it were also very famous. In fact they used to be on the weekly top 14 in Binaca Geetmala on Radio Ceylon. As I checked out the songs I found that the movie is also uploaded in 12 parts. Now I do like Mumtaz and Rajesh Khanna so decided to watch it.
Generally people like to write a review about new movies but I have decided to revisit some of the one from my youth and see them in the light of current social climate. I decided to write a short blog about this movie as even though this is a nearly 40 year old movie the issues it deals with are still relevant in today’s India and well as many parts of the world. The film is about corrupt so called pillars of society who will stop at nothing in lining their own safes. The lone voice of the hero preaches and practices that honesty and truth are important. That justice is for all and the path of democracy is important for the wellbeing of the society. Is this not exactly the current fight in India? Anna Hazare is leading the march of anti corruption and forcing all Indians to consider the impact of it on the progress of the nation and its nationals. The divide between the haves and the have nots keeps growing as every action or inaction gets based on bribery.
While the hero in the film resorts to fighting fire with fire that is evil with a play at being evil and wins the victory for all that is good and true I would not go so far to advocate that is the way forward for ordinary Indians. But the final dialogue is telling. Bad guy says to the police who all will you put in jail? Everyone is tainted with corruption one way or the other. At this rate everyone will be in jail and the towns will be empty. The reply is that India cannot die as long as every city, town and village has at least one person who is willing to fight against corruption.
Of course there obligatory singing and dancing in the film and it was a pleasure to hear the songs, I think this movie should be shown again in cinemas for the topic is still as fresh as it was 40 years ago. I think sadly even though movies have always shown that corruption is bad, truth and justice are the pillars of a democratic society we watch it for entertainment and not take the general moral that is part of the story. I have met Mr Hazare in October 1983 as a part of a community nursing visit to his village. It was very educational trip about sustained village development that was benefiting the villagers. He showed us around and discussed his ideas with us and the impact these changes were having on the health of the community. One can say he was charismatic then even as I still remember the visit vividly when all other visits seem to have been wiped out in time.
Having said that my favourite song in this movie used to be ‘duniya mein logon ko’. There is humour in the way the trap is set and sprung. Those f us who saw it before see it again and those who are too young to have seen it first time round and are passionate about anti corruption now should have a look too.
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