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Some thing changes the course of direction in the life. Manoj Kumar did Shaheed and made Bhagat Singh’s character immortal on screen. No other actor could play the role of Bhagat Singh as convincingly as Manoj Kumar played in Shaheed.

Watch the Manoj Kumar as Bhagat Singh in Shaheed singing the song
Ai Watan Ai Watan humko teri kasam and recall the famous posters of Bhagat Singh.

He was at his best in Shaheed. Bhagat Singh’s role remained his best performance . Before Shaheed he was seen as another imitator of Dilip Kumar’s acting style.

Shaeed made him popular as an independent hero and Shaheed’s popularity gave him chance to make Upkar. Shaheed gave him the solid ground on which he could create the character of Bharat Kumar.

Everybody has something special in him/her and every actor also has some areas where he shines more, every writer has some special territories where he writes better and patriotism was that special area for Manoj Kumar.

Its never easy to make an authentic film on the contemporary themes as most of the time they take shapes of documentaries or become dull in nature. Manoj Kumar’s multitalented nature helped in this and he was able to touch the chord with audiences, using contemporary themes, as soon as he donned the cap of a director with Upkar.

Manoj Kumar was a good director in 1970s. He gave good films in the form of Upkar, Shor, Purab Aur Paschim, Roti Kapda aur Makan and gave a blockbuster film Kranti.

He had a talent to cast actors in unpredictable roles. He casted Paran Saab in the role of Malang Chacha in Upkar while he was famous for doing villaneous roles.

His creative input was always included in the films where he had acted before he became director and after also. He often wrote his own dialogues or improved them as he had a good command over the language.

Any creative person has to be known for the good works he has done and Manoj Kumar can not be an exception. He should not be remembered for making flop and bad films in 80s but for good films he made in 60s and 70s.

Purab Aur Pashchim has got an intelligent direction from Manoj Kumar.

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Many a times films are made for contemporary reasons and they have to be seen within that context only. India was cheated by China when this communist (newly made) country had attacked India in 1962. Pakistan had attacked India in 1965 and again in 1971.

In late 60s, new states were created on the basis of different languages and many people and especially petty politicians were trying to divide India in to several groups and were not able to handle their egos and were seeing India as combination of many different states and not as a united entity.

Brain drain was seen as a big damage to the society then.

In the back drop of situations created in mid 60s, when Lal Bahadur Shastri, then PM of India, had given the slogan of Jai Jawan Jai Kisan, Manoj Kumar had created the story of Upkar and had given birth to a character called Bharat Kumar. Bharat Kumar, a patriot!

Bharat Kumar loves his country but he is not a closed person in his thinking and attitude. Bharat Kumar was very much like India itself. Happy within the self only, but never closed to other people existing anywhere in the world.

Entire history of mankind on earth does not bring a single proof that India has ever attacked any other country outside of its boundaries. Bharat Kumar was also having this trait. He loves his country, spirituality and traditions but he is never closed toward any good things existing elsewhere. Bharat Kumar does not belong to Talibani attitude or aggressive and closed minded Hindu outfits or person belonging to the fanatic segment of any religion, but he is a liberal and confident Indian who believes in his nation and its cultures and who is not against any other religion or country. He is not interested in changing anybody’s religion by any method. He is not attacker or missionary in the approach. He can pick up arms in defence to save his nation and self respect but will not attack anyone on his own.

Bharat Kumar was the need of that time. It was a contemporary need of India and Manoj Kumar created this character and established his reputation. He was rich in writing and creating scenes. He was rich in song picturisation. He was rich in bringing dramatic elements into his screen plays. He was rich in connecting his ideas with millions of people. His cinema in 60s and 70s was trying to bring unity among people.

James Bond like character, who is a same person since the time of Sean Connery and this film franchise follows always similar kind of missions and only actors, who play the Bond are changed and techniques are changed with time, havew been accepted by people.

People can like character like Munna Bhai who is again same person but handles different situation in new films, then why this hypocrisy in accepting a Patriotic character called Bharat Kumar? Don’t people read and like comic series or detective kind of series where a particular character is shown handling different situations in every new book/novel etc?

This is ridiculously true that Many Indians may feel shame in accepting and exhibiting their love towards their country.

To love one’s country is not similar to disliking other countries.

Jewish lobby may act openly to remove Arun Gandhi from the Institution he had established in the memory of his great grand father Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi because he said a truth about Israel and powerful Jewish lobby could not tolerate this.

Its doubtful if Vikram Seth ever will be nominated for Nobel Prize, even if he creates a masterpiece, because he has committed a mistake to criticize present days doings of Israel in his last book Two Lives. He has written an entire book on the pathetic conditions of Jews in Germany during Hitler’s regime but he will be sidelined because he wrote truth also in two pages in the same big book about present days doings of Jews against Muslims in Israel.

World is unfair. It has been unfair and it will always be unfair because those who hold might and power in the world are not having any spiritual background and orientation.

Its also said often that you can take an Indian out of India but you can not take India out of an Indian. Ofcourse all people can not be same. They can not think on similar pattern.

But Upkar, Purab aur Pashchim kind of films are for those Indians who always cherish an ideal India inside their heart.

India may not be rich economically at present but this rich, poor, developing and developed etc are the terms related with legal and economical areas.

West thinks in terms of legal and it is a thing related with whole society’s practical functioning while India has a tradition of thinking in terms of moral and this is always an individual thing.

When ancient India was enjoying the developed phase then its sages were busy in propagating theories that what is good is for all the humanity and they were not creating Patents like closed and narrow minded philosophies.

Present developed west civilization has made development limited to a few chosen only and people go on following this philosophy blindly.

People dont recall the history of seeds patented by a super power country in 60s. This super power had allured and forced many countries to submit their seeds so that they can be saved from any kind of nuclear and similar attacks and after collecting the different kinds of seeds from most of the countries (except countries belonging to rival camp), it patented all those seeds.

It was one of the the biggest cheating of last century. Small and developing countries cried foul but most developed country had done this cheating so they had to digest this injustice.

Now situations have reached at that stage that one buys modified seeds and he can not get second crop out of that seed and he has to buy it again and if he sows the old seed then his land will become barren because seeds are genetically modified in that way only.

There is a pressure on developing countries to submit their diversified seed asset to make another seed bank in Sweden. Many countries like India and Brazil are opposing it but we have to see how long they can resist because market is controlling the life of people all over the world.

Problems appear when people cry over borrowing of films like petty mediums but ignore bigger issues which are related with survival of mankind in developing and poor countries. Same people would not have shed even a single tear if USA had become successful in taking patents on Neem, Haldi, Basmati and many ancient crops.

Just imagine if India charges Royalty for Yoga only? If Patent philosophy was imposed and followed by ancient India then how much money other countries were going to pay to India to get knowledge developed there? Or were they going to get this knowledge if India was not willing to give? They got all this knowledge freely.

An American man can be as good or bad as an Indian or Japanese or European or Chinese etc on personal basis but it does not matter because what matters most is how his country is behaving with other countries. His country is a philosophy and that matters.

A Chinese can be as good or bad as an Indian but people have to consider that his country China is a brutal attacker and it’s the country that has violently captured and destroyed the Tibet which has been the most non-violent and most spiritual country of the world.

One can be friend of a communist but one can not rule out the imperialistic nature of Communism. History is screaming how Communists have tried to capture countries after countries on the name of a confused theory.

When an American or Chinese or Israeli or Russian, Japanese or man belonging to any country can love his country and can talk about its traditions and can follow policies to bring maximum benefits to his nation then why an Indian should not do the same for India?

India has always followed the tradition of self criticism but because of British regime this self criticism has lost the spiritual touches and has become quite physical in nature and thus has become detrimental in nature. This self-criticism process also needs a proper analysis to make it justified in nature.

Its not going to help present days India to boast upon its past achievements of ancient time but its also not helpful to forget its rich heritage and tradition.

Upkar and Purab Aur Pashchim followed this pattern only. They were made to revive this belief in the self. They were not against Westerners but against bad things of West and things which were not thought and seen as good for India and Indians. These films were for Indians and not against Westerners. There is a clear difference between the two cases. There was enough scope for introspection also in both the scripts.

Purab Aur Pashchim talks about glorified things of East but it does not show Westerners in bad light.

In reality film shows the only British character in the film in a good light. British Girl friend of ManMohan likes justice and understands the pathos of first wife of Man Mohan and she forces Man Mohan to accept her wife and go back to his family.

Man Mohan’s Father in law, Om Prakash addresses this British girl as his daughter and invites her to India to live with him.

Purab Aur Pashchim is against the lust of men like Man Mohan and their fixation for white skin. Purab aur Paschim is not against white skin. Many people, who are married already, go on to marry some weterners and leave their wives behind to live a pathetic life. Purab aur Pashchim is against hypocrisy of those Indians who always see bad and negative things in India.

Purab aur paschim’s title has word West in it but 99% its about India and Indians. Good and bad of India and its people are the matters under consideration.

Purab aur Pashchim is against the Indians aping blindly anything western whether its meant for them or not and their tendency to look India and Indian things with low impression and to ridicule any thing which is Indian.

A company does not feel shame in highlighting good things of its products. Other countries don’t feel any hitch in highlighting good things present there and films are made to showcase those good things and films are made to counter the shortcomings in their societies then why Indian cinema can not follow the same trend?

Purab Aur Pashchim was the need of the time. Situations are bit different and now but its central theme is still valid though now if such a film is made then treatment will be different and Bharat Kumar will be changed accoprding to present times.
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Film starts when India was still ruled by Britishers. Freedom struggle after 1942 was at its peak and all kind of struggles, violent and non-violent, were happening all over the India.

Manoj Kumar has filmed this portion in Black and White and it is such a nice decision because it makes the film very impressive.

Guru Ji (Ashok Kumar) lives in Allahabad with his son Harnam (Pran), who is married to Kasuhalya (Nirupa Roy). Kaushalya has a son Omkar aka OK (Prem Chopra as adult Omkar) and she is pregnant.

A freedom fighter (Krishan Dhawan), is a neighbour of Guru Ji and he is escaping from the police as warrant is released on his name and Police is searching for him.

It’s a rainy day and water is pouring heavily and a kind of canal is flowing on the streets. Policemen are searching someone on the roads and a man comes out of water infront of the window where Guru Ji is standing.

He is the freedom fighter neighbour of Guru ji and he folds his hands to greet Guru ji. Guru Ji raises his hands to bless him and Krishan Dhawan goes toward his home.

Guru Ji calls his son Harnam and asks him to go out to keep watch on policemen so that their patriotic neighbour can be saved.

Krishan Dhawan goes out after meeting with his wife Kamini Kaushal but he finds that policemen are coming to catch him from all sides. His wife tries to save him but a policeman throws her back and she falls. Guru Ji comes out to stop policemen but they shoot Krishan Dhawan.

Harnam is standing there hiding his face behind the umbrella.

Guru Ji curses him to do this treachery against a patriot and country. But he does not take impression of his sayings and says that British Govt. has promised to give him a lot of money.

Guru Ji asks Harnam to leave the home and Harnam’s wife also does not go with him. In the night Harnam comes and picks up his son Omkar and leaves a letter and goes to England.

Kamini Kaushal’s husband has been killed but he is a martyr and she keeps on putting a Bindi on her forehead and while Kaushalya’s husband is alive but he is a treacherous person who has cheated on his country and who had rubbed off the Bindi from her forehead so she does not put on Bindi anymore.

Purab Aur Pashchim actually kept the famous traditional Aarti song Om Jai Jagdeesh Hare and now people hear this version only.

India gets freedom and film gets colours nowonwards and people of GuruJi’s colony are garlanding the statue of Krishan Dhawan.

Some years later.

Krishan Dhawan’s son Bharat (Manoj Kumar) has become a fine young man, who has got a scholarship for higher education in London.

Bharat’s friend Vinod Khanna loves Kashalya’s daughter but she loves Bharat but neither Vinod Khanna has expressed his love towards her and nor she has expressed her love towards Bharat.

Bharat says the feelings of Vinod Khanna to her and she thinks he is expressing his own feelings and she blushes on thinking the possibilities to marry Bharat and runs away. Vinod Khanna and Bharat think that she is ready for Vinod Khanna.

They are going to present a song and dance performance at their college and students belonging to different states start raising objections on using Hindi as a language.

Announcer tells everybody that Bharat and his group will translate their song in English for those who can not understand or don’t want to understand Hindi. Protestors sit silently and song Dulhan Chali pehan Chali starts.

Song : Dulhan Chali Pehan Chali

Use of redness in the beginning of the song and beautiful camera work makes this energetic song a wonderful song to see. Many things were done first time in this song and it was imitated later in the film Akraman (Dekho veer jawanon apne khoon pe ye iljam na aye) and Amar Akbar Anthony (Parda Hai Parda).

Whole song is beautiful and real footages of Republic day parade and celebration of Independence Day are used intelligently.

VN Reddy’s camera under the direction and instructions of Manoj Kumar presents this song and dance event in very interesting and beautiful manner. Camera peeps through the space left by the four daflis and it is such a nice way to show something to audiences.

Guru Ji tells Bharat that one of his familiar person Madan Puri, who was friend of his father Krishan Dhawan, lives in London and he has written that Bharat w’d have to stay with them only and this way he will be able to revive memories of his friend who is no more.

After some persistence of Guru ji, Bharat sheds his reservations on staying with someone in an unknown country and becomes ready to stay at their place.

Bharat is received by Madan Puri, his wife Rita (Shammi) and his daughter Preity (Saira Bano) and Son, Shankar (Rajendra Nath). Rita was born and brought up in England and she has never seen India before. Madan Puri also has not been able to visit India after coming to London so his children Preity and Shankar also have not seen India.

Shankar is much like follower of Beetles while Preity is completely westernized in her living ways.
Bharat is taken to India club by Madan Puri and there Harnam criticises India heavily and says that India does nothing and has not produced anything till now and its dependent on developed nation’s donations etc.

Bharat does not know that Harnam is the person who was the main tool behind the killing of his father and he is son of Guru Ji.

He sings Jab Zero diya mere Bharat ne

Madan Puri admits before Bharat that when he himself has forgotten the Indian values and positive things of Indian cultures then what he can say about his children because they are not even exposed to that kind of culture. He asks Bharat to help him in making familiar his son and daughter with India and its old and rich culture.

Bharat’s company slowly changes the Shankar and now its turn of Preity.

Harnam’s son OK aka Omkar (Prem Chopra) is raised in London and he has an eye over Preity and one evening he tries to rape her but Bharat saves her.

Preity likes Bharat and now she starts taking more interest in him and later becomes ready to marry him but her mother puts a condition before Bharat that he will have to settle in London only after the marriage.

Bharat says that his purpose to come England was to take higher education in his chosen subject and he never came here with an idea to settle here and he has to go back to India to serve there. Rita says that to marry Preity, he will have to leave India.

Preity also says that she will not go to India and if he loves her then he will have to stay in London.

There is a song after this sequence of events.

Koi Jab tumhara Hridaya tod de

One can see the brilliant use of light and camera in the stanza
Koi Shart hoti nahin pyar mein……

Manoj Kumar is standing behind the leaves of the tree and still his face is shining like anything.

And when the most philosophical lines are sung in the song.

Jab apnee hee najron mein girne lago,
Apne hee andhero mein ghirne lago …..

Saira Bano is shown disappearing in to the darkness.

When she comes out and enters in to the ground where shadows of the pillars are falling on the ground, her own shadow is also there and which is taller than her own real height.

Preity also loves Bharat and she tries to convince him that he should stay and settle in London only. Bharat after a thought, says that he is ready to settle in London but first he would like to take Preity to India to take blessings of his mother and elders like Guru Ji.

Rita does not find any objection in this and she says to Preity that there is no harm in this and she can see Taj Mahal with this excuse.

Madan Puri tries to stop Bharat as he knows that he can not live happily in England away from India but Bharat says that he has full confidence that once Preity is exposed to India, situations will be changed.

Shankar says that he was waiting for this day only when Bharat would pass his exam and would go back to India so that he also could go with him.

All the people go to Allahabad in India.

Song : Purva suhani aye re

Without any doubt, most beautiful aspect of Purab aur Paschim is the picturisation of the songs. And this song adds many beautiful aspects in the area of song picturisation since the beginning shot of the song. How camera catches the image of Manoj Kumar in the mirror while other girl is dancing!

Slowly Preity is exposed to the importance of relationship and family in the life of an Indian and she witnesses a transformation in her understanding about India and Indian Culture.

She admits that before coming here she had the impression that India is the country of Snakes and snake charmers, elephants, monks etc because she was exposed to this kind of books only but direct encounter with Indian way of living the life has changed her opinions. How wrong was she. She thought it was poor and beggar country but here she witnessed poorest people to give or share food with strangers.

She says and perhaps asks from herself also that which country is there in the world which does not have any problem? Every country has its own problems and India too has its own problems but it certainly is not that country as its popularised in the west.

Rest is the transformation of Preity and Harnam.

Harnam comes and finds out that his daughter is marrying Vinod Khanna. After passing through a hard mental conflict he comes and joins the marriage ceremony and follows the tradition of Kanyadan.

Performancewise this is Pran who tops the list of actors. He has played a character who under the greed of money and status, has cheated on his country and that’s why he always remains suspicious about everything. He goes to London to live there but he is always fearful of his past which has got a stigma of being a treacherous person. Pran Saab has followed a special body language to play this complex character. His face is bended downside most of the times and he does not make eye to eye contact with others, and prefers to look from the corner of his eyes. He discards others and their ideas without even looking at them. Pran Saab’s subtle mannerisms have made this character very good to watch on screen.

Manoj Kumar had created the character Bharat Kumar for him only so he plays it with an ease.

Vinod Khanna was new then and under utilized but whenever he appears on screen he is quite good. Its difficult to recall any film in his younger days where this intense actor has played his characters wrongly or with less calibre whether he has played a positive or a negative character. He always used to maintain a standard.

Saira Bano is quite good in the role of a westernized girl.

Ashok Kumar, Kamini Kaushal, Nirupa Roy, Madan Puri all had very small roles and did full justice according to their reputation of good actors.

Prem Chopra and Man Mohan are good as usual in negative characters.

Rajendra Nath was quite funny and good in his role who is fascinated by spritual side of India.

Om Prakash makes a cameo and plays the role of a helpless father of a young woman who goes daily to convince Man Mohan to come back and daily gets a beating. from his son in law

Purab aur Pashchim introduced Santosh Anand as lyricst, who wrote the song Purva Suhani Ayee re.

Rest all the songs were penned by Indeevar.

Kalyan ji Anand ji gave a very good music in the film.

DDLJ, Pardes, Aa Ab laut chalein, Namaste London etc etc have taken something from Purab Aur Pashchim. All the films made on the first and second generation of NRIs can be found taking something from Purab Aur Paschim.

To love our own country is not a crime. To hate other countries can be a crime (Morally and not legally). To admire good things in own culture is not bad thing. To criticise other cultures can be bad thing to do (again morally but not legally).

Every country follows patriotism but many a times their patriotism produces harm to other countries.

India has an old tradition of following patriotism without harming other countries.

Love that tradition.

Vasudhaive Kutambkam ( Whole world is like a family) was originated on the land of India only.

Filed Under  Movies, Review, Thoughts , Arun Gandhi, Ashok Kumar, Hitler, Indeevar, Kalyan Ji Anand ji, Kamini Kaushal, Kapda aur makan, krishan dhawan, Man Mohan, Manoj Kumar, MK Gandhi, Nirupa Roy, Om Prakash, Pran, Prem Chopra, Rajendra Nath, Roti, Saira Bano, Santosh Anand, Shaeed, Shammi, Shor, Upkar, vinod khanna, VN Reddy

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