Underplayed Gems

Dharmputra (1961)

Dharmputra poster
Original title
धर्म पुत्र
Directed by
Yash Chopra
Genre
drama film
Country
India
Runtime
2h 27m
Rated
U
Rating
5.5 of 10 from 2 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A Hindu family raises a Muslim child as their own during the partition of India. The film shows how religious divisions and extremism strain their relationships and community.

emotionalconflict-driventhought-provokingtragicseriousearnesthistoricalsobering

What happens

Dharmputra is a 1961 Hindi film directed by Yash Chopra based on a novel of the same name by Acharya Chatursen. This is Yash's second directorial venture. It was the first Hindi film to depict the partition of India, and Hindu fundamentalism. Produced by his elder brother B.R. Chopra, who was himself uprooted from Lahore, during the partition of India and established B.R. Films in Mumbai in 1956. The film dealt with issues of religious bigotry, fanaticism and communalism amidst the backdrop of the partition. Two years earlier, Yash Chopra had made his debut with Dhool Ka Phool (1959), steeped in Nehruvian secularism, wherein a Muslim brings up an "illegitimate" Hindu child and featured the classic song "Tu Hindu Banega Na Musalman Banega, Insaan Ki Aulaad Hai, Insaan Banega". The theme was reversed in this film as herein a Hindu family brings up an illegitimate Muslim child. This was Shashi Kapoor's first film as an adult actor playing the pivotal role of a Hindu fundamentalist. Noted actor Rajendra Kumar made a special appearance for a song as did Shashikala. At the 9th National Film Awards it was awarded the Best Feature Film in Hindi. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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