Shaheed (1965)

On India's 64th Independence Day, recalling an old classic biopic on Bhagat Singh, in an humble effort to give tribute to one of the greatest revolutionaries to have taken birth on our soil.

23^rd March, 1931- Never before had a scheduled execution been advanced by a day- never before had an execution taken place at dusk- 23^rd March, 1931- the mightiest empire in the world had to twist the rules written by itself- Such was the power and threat of Bhagat Singh and his friends, that the empire could not afford their survival for another single day- even when they were safely behind bars.

‘Shaheed’, a 1965 Manoj Kumar film directed by S Ram Sharma, is a story of martyrdom- it is the story of the greatest set of revolutionaries to have taken birth on the Indian soil. One of the few biopic features made in our cinema, it is certainly one of the finest too- if not the finest. It narrates the life and times of Bhagat Singh, a name that resonates every now and then in each and every home of our country- and understandably so. At the start of the new millennium, our film-makers decided to relive his story on celluloid and thus we were confronted with as many as four features on the same man, and the same story. Although Raj Kumar Santoshi’s effort was indeed a fine one, it certainly had a great reference point in the form of this movie that is an extremely rich feature despite being made in an era characterized by minimalistic use of technology and lack of resources and high budgets. This movie has a soul as bright and as warm as the great soul it talks about.

Unlike its remake (I would be addressing Raj Kumar Santoshi’s ‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’ as its remake for it was the movie that came closest to replicating its spirit and intentions); Shaheed focuses more on the times spent by Bhagat Singh and his mates behind bars. It also keeps its scope pretty much restricted to these characters and does not include the other noted personalities of that time in its narrative. Thus it refrains from showing the interactions and exchanges between the Viceroy and the congressmen, and also does not lay much focus on showing the external dynamics of the situation. In effect, the greatest strength of this movie is that it does not pitch the ideology of Bhagat Singh and his mates against the one MK Gandhi had and abstains from making this contrast-which could have been used to escalate the spirit of revolution and sacrifice (a tool used to a good effect in its remake).

The story has been collated from authentic sources like Bhagat Singh’s mother herself and Batukeshwar Dutt, who was an important part of Bhagat Singh’s party and in fact accompanied Bhagat Singh while they exploded a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly as a mark of protest against the introduction of the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Dispute Bill (which were touted to make the lives of the common men more miserable). He was also involved in a historic hunger strike by Bhagat Singh and his mates against the dreadful treatment given to the inmates in Indian jails. This hunger strike gets prominent focus in the movie, and is portrayed in a much more restrained and less horrific manner than in its remake. Here a character played by Pran (that of a dacoit inmate along with Bhagat Singh and his group) has been used very well to depict the scale of the sacrifice and level of courage shown by the men for the betterment of their race and their country. 

Despite tackling a vast subject matter, the movie has its focus pretty clear and sharp editing helps the cause.The sets and shooting locations are pretty authentic- the only grouse is that the lighting is poor at some places. The soul of this movie, however, lies in its performances and its music. Manoj Kumar lives the character of Bhagat Singh and comes up with a truly memorable act that I believe remains unmatched (even in the modern day remakes). Prem Chopra plays Sukhdev, and though he lacks the finesse displayed by his more important colleague, he still manages to do a good job backed by the subject matter and the other supporting cast. The character of Bhagat Singh’s mother (played by Kamini Kaushal) is a very well etched one and has been performed remarkably by the lady (one of the best on screen mother acts). Other notable performances are by the jail staff and the Jailor (Madan Puri). Pran’s cameo too is very impactful and one wonders why this character was done away with in the remake. Chandrasekhar Azad, as a character, is not given much prominence in the film.

There are no words apt enough to describe what the music of this film brings to it. The songs are heartwarming and evergreen and take the narrative forward in a splendid manner. In fact, songs come at the highpoint of all the dramatic bits of the story. The songs are based on the poems by Ram Prasad Bismil, another notable revolutionary of that time who was involved in the Kakori incident (which gets a fleeting mention in this film unlike its remake). “Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna”, “Aye Watan”, “Mera Rang De Basanti Chola”, “Pagdi Sambhal”- it is hard to recall any other movie having so many memorable gems- and all having tremendous bearing on the film’s unfolding.

Parting Note- The movie is memorable for more reasons than one. It is one of those patriotic movies that won’t let you remain just a passive viewer watching a movie. It will involve you, it will evoke sentiments, but above all it will make you reflect and think about the meaning of sacrifice, love, and freedom.

Bhagat Singh is relevant today, more so than ever before, for his efforts were not only directed at achieving freedom, but also towards betterment of the posterity and most importantly spreading the feeling of love and pride for our nation and our people- which sadly today comes up only during cricket matches or when our media channels decide to take it up during festivals such as today. It is only when we, as individuals, start feeling responsible for our country and start caring for it as much as we care for ourselves, will issues like corruption cease to infest our society. We don't need an Anna Hazare for that- we have enough examples in our history to take inspiration from- or better still setting an example ourselves by being honest, diligent and fair at whatever we do or at the methods we adopt. Jai Hind.

Haqeeqat (1964)

We had been always told as kids that India defeated Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 wars, but lost to China in 1962 conflict. But I, for one, had little clue about the scale of the clash and the enormity of the loss that India suffered at the hands of China. Chetan Anand’s Haqeeqat is an EPIC on the Indo-Sino war, and a telling account of how poor we were as a nation strategically while dealing with the war. Starring Balraj Sahni, Dharmendra, Vijay Anand and a number of other faces that were willing to trade the last drop of blood in their body for the life of an enemy soldier, Haqeeqat was shot in the virgin locales of Ladakh, in black and white.

The film opens with the deployment of officers at various potentially dangerous locations across Ladakh. Brigadier Singh (Essayed by Jayant- a veteran actor who starred in many epic movies through the 1950s and 60s) travels to Srinagar to visit his son, Captain Bahadur Singh (Dharmendra in one of the early roles of his career). The situation they are faced with is tense, with India and China engaged in a dialogue regarding the territorial uncertainties in Ladakh, and China’s claims for a large piece of India’s territory in the area. Lack of a concrete border line only complicates the issue further. The initial few minutes of the film are spent establishing this fact while the soldiers reminisce about their romantic endeavors and families. The narrative is deliberately kept fractured, and no one actor is given an absolute prominence above others, though it does take some time to develop the relationship between Captain Bahadur and a Ladhaki girl. The relationship between her kid brother and Captain Bahadur too is very labouredly developed, but it is completely justified as this bond ultimately gains supreme importance in the larger scheme of things during the culmination of the film.

The key statement that this movie makes is that wars are won and lost on the table. And India suffered not just at the hands of an unexpectedly determined and savage Chinese aggression, but also because of its own tactical inadequacy and lack of preparedness. We refused to open fire till the Chinese forces were literally staring us in our faces, from twenty meters across, on the pretext of being a peace loving nation that picks that resorts to aggression only when some other nation starts violating our territories. We refused to understand the vested Chinese tactics that were directed towards catching us napping when we were the least prepared.

There are many memorable scenes that the movie leaves you with, and Major Ranjit Singh (Balraj Sahni in a stellar role) features in most of them. The instance when he lashes out on a junior officer who was undermining the importance of the imminent clash, and further bursting into a monologue on the Chinese intentions, is clap worthy.  Another, when he displays his inability to prevent a retreat of his men from the front, is a poignant sequence that asks a lot of questions on the stance that the Indian Government took during the whole combat. His cry of “I need men, I need guns, and I need bullets”- while almost breaking down, is truly heartwarming and makes you boil in rage at the futility of the whole exercise.

The climax sequence involves Captain Bahadur Singh and a colleague of his, who together are given an almost impossible task of stopping a whole platoon of Chinese soldiers (read Bastards). They, together with the Ladhaki girl and her brother almost achieve the impossible, laying down their lives in the process. What follows is one of the most memorable songs ever to have graced the Indian silver screen- ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida, Jaanon Tan Saathiyon- Ab Tumhare hawale Watan Saathiyon’- The song is sure to leave you with a lump in the throat- Chetan Anand uses some actual footage from the post war era to accentuate the effect.

What makes this saga truly unmatchable is the realism with which it is shot, and the grand scale of the war scenes. The performances from each member of the cast are top-notch, with Balraj Sahni leading the way. Jayant also gives an award winning performance as the helpless leader of the whole operation who himself has a son fighting the more than formidable enemy. Vijay Anand, the director’s brother, gets preferential treatment in a way that he gets a solo song, and the girl who was the love of Major Ranjit Singh’s life. Dharmendra plays the role of the charmer initially and then intense soldier with much aplomb. His love interest and her brother too pitch in with natural performances.

Haqeeqat truly is a landmark film in Indian cinema’s journey over the years. And it certainly acted as a reference point for later films like Border and LOC. It is one of the absolutely must watch movies- a film that every Indian should watch, feel, and absorb. Stunning. JAI HIND.