Mother India

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Leaburn O More terrible Bollywood nonsense. May be a classic but it’s still melodramatic and downright rubbish. Enjoyed seeing six year old actors smoking a joint though! Far too long, painful to watch but makes an inexplicable number of best film lists so I tortured myself to get through it. Watched on DVD as the YouTube version had out of sync subtitles. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 11/05/24 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. This one was a bit over the top for melodrama and cheese. Props for originality and trailblazing a unique genre, but this was overly long and tedious. Some fun performances from the little annoying boy and some unique India culture shown. It was on youtube. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L So the entire plot of this movie relies on the premise of someone literally not reading the terms of a loan and also mortgaging her property to pay for a single wedding; yes, the moneylender absolutely took advantage of her trusting nature and apparent illiteracy, but that's partially on her. A massive influence on the development of Bollywood, Mother India is a multi-generational epic that incorporates conventional values of the divine in Hinduism and their role in the emerging Indian state, with Nargis' Radha serving as the embodiment of the nation in her purity, virtue, and righteous suffering; she (as India) is well-intentioned and dedicated, withstanding the abuses of those that would seek to take advantage of her for personal gain. It's thematically straightforward and easily understandable, but understandably empathetic to citizens of the then-internationally-nascent Indian state. The production value is intermittently mixed (with some questionable set design and editing choices that highlight some of its limitations) but is certainly colorful and can reach soaring heights for mid-20th century Indian cinema; the practical effects of the flood scene are impressive even today. The combination of serious drama and singing is distinctly Indian and not really to my taste (made worse by the fact that the version I viewed did not provide subtitles for the musical numbers for some reason), but that doesn't make it an objective detractor. There's also plenty of other strange choices to nitpick - the rough acting (with the notable exception of Nargis), the heavy melodrama, and the excessive runtime; it all adds up to an important work in the history of film, but not necessarily a great viewing experience in the modern day. It is a bit odd to think that Nargis was married to Dutt, who played her son in this film, and their fictitiously incestuous relatinshiop resulted in one of the most popular Hindi actors in the late 20th century, Sanjay Dutt. (3/5) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/30/21 Full Review sahil c One of the most popular movies ever made in India, on top of that a critics darling, people use to watch it every month Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member A beautiful bride becomes a mother of mythological strength while under the weight of debt, of strife, of abandonment, of death, of life, all while being a pillar of honour to her children and to her village. This 3hr tragic Bollywood melodrama is truly an experience. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review dustin d Mother India is the garishly flamboyant Technicolor Communist counterpoint to the Apu Trilogy. Although it is basically a Communist propaganda poster come to life, it is thoroughly engrossing and entertaining. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Mother India

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