Nastik (1954 film)

Nastik (lit. 'The Atheist') is a 1954 Hindi-language crime drama film written and directed by I. S. Johar.[1] It was produced by Filmistan Ltd.. Its cinematographer was Dronacharya, and the choreography was by the Indian classical dancer Lachhu Maharaj and Narendra Sharma. The dialogues were by Mrs. Ramma Johar. C. Ramchandra composed the music while the lyricist was Kavi Pradeep.[2] Known for his "patriotic" lyrics, Pradeep's "immortal" song "Dekh Tere Sansar Ki Haalat Kya Ho Gayi Bhagwan" (See What Your World Has Come To, God) sung by him, remains popular.[3] The film starred Nalini Jaywant, Ajit, Raj Mehra, Ulhas, Mehmood and Roopmala.[4]

Nastik
Song synopsis booklet cover
Directed byI. S. Johar
Produced byS. Mukherjee
Written byRamma Johar
Screenplay byI. S. Johar
Story byI. S. Johar
StarringNalini Jaywant
Ajit
Ulhas
Raj Mehra
Music byC. Ramchandra
CinematographyDronacharya
Edited byBabu Lavande
D. N. Pai (Supervisor)
Production
company
Distributed byFilmistan Ltd.
Release date
  • 1954 (1954)
Running time
149 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

The film was dubbed into Tamil and released in 1962 as Madadhipathi Magal (lit. 'The Abbot's Daughter').[5][6] Dialogues and lyrics were written by Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam.[7]

The film is set against the back drop of Partition with its ensuing riots and violence, and using actual footage of refugees.[8] The story is about a man who loses his faith in God when his parents are killed in the rioting, and his brother and sister die as refugees when the priest refuses to help them. He sets out to avenge his siblings' death.

Plot

Anil (Ajit), sees his parents killed in front of him during the violence of partition and flees with his sister Kamla (Kamala), and young brother Munna. Having to leave everything behind them in Pakistan, they enter India as refugees and take shelter in a temple. When Munna falls sick, Anil goes to Tulsiram, the Mahant (priest) (Ulhas) for help. The priest has no time for the poor, and refuses to visit the sick child. An infuriated Anil attacks the priest, who calls the police and has him arrested. His brother dies and Kamala is forced to become a singing girl (Tawaif) by Vinod Kumar (Raj Mehra) and his henchman (Mehmood). When Anil comes out of prison he is devastated to find his brother dead and his sister a courtesan. The sister kills herself out of shame. Anil vows vengeance on the priest and Vinod. His belief in Bhagwan is lost and he becomes an atheist, deriding god and priests. His friend from jail, Joker (I. S. Johar) is with him. Tulsiram on finding out that Anil has vowed vengeance on him, is on the run with his daughter. He goes on a pilgrimage with Anil and Joker in pursuit. Joker thanks God that at least this way an atheist will also perform a pilgrimage.

Anil meets Rama (Nalini Jaywant), the priest Tulsiram's daughter when he sees Rani Ma, (Leela Mishra) scolding an untouchable boy for touching her, begging for alms. A priest hits the boy and Anil in turn hits the priest. Rama tends to the boy and Anil finds out she is Tulsiram's daughter. He decides to revenge himself by marrying Rama, an act which would be disagreeable to the priest. With contrived circumstances, he gets Rama who has fallen in love with Anil, to marry him. They spend the night together and are out in the boat with the father after them when they both fall in the water. Rama is saved by her father but finds out later that she's pregnant. She presumes that Anil is dead. A son is born to her and when he falls sick she takes him to a God-man, Babaji, whom everyone believes has healing powers. Babaji is none other than Anil pretending to be a God-man. Once Anil discovers that Rama is alive and his son is ill a change comes over him, and with the recovery of his son his belief in Sanatana Dharma is restored.

Cast
  • Nalini Jaywant as Rama Rampal (née Punj)
  • Ajit as Anil Kumar Rampal / Babaji
  • Ulhas as Mahant Tulsiram Punj / Pujari
  • I. S. Johar as Joker
  • Raj Mehra as Vinod Kumar Mehra
  • Roopmala as Kamala Rampal / Courtesan
  • Leela Mishra as Rani Ma, Vinod’s mother
  • Mumtaz Begum as Mataji
  • Mehmood as Vinod's henchman
  • Rajen Haksar

Review and reception

The film was highly successful at the box-office, running for fifty weeks (Golden jubilee) even though the film was banned initially.[8] Nastik made use of "documentary footage of refugees in overcrowded trains to show the mass exodus of people from both sides of the border". Later Yash Chopra's Dharmputra (1960) was to show similar footage.[9]

Nastik highlighted the anguish of partition, and is stated to be one of the better films on the subject, and is still used as a benchmark in comparison to other films on the same topic.[10] The film shows Hindu shrines "spread all over" India, with Dwarka, Rameshwar, Puri, Varanasi, and Brindavan among others.[11]

Soundtrack

The music direction was by C. Ramchandra. Lyricist Kavi Pradeep, known for his "inspirational verses" wrote the famous "thought-provoking" song "Dekh Tere...Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan".[12] The playback singers were Pradeep, Lata Mangeshkar, Hemant Kumar and C. Ramchandra. .[13] Kavi Pradeep’s classic ‘Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan’, which invokes the almighty to look upon his creation and its deeds, remains immortal. Poet Sahir Ludhianvi wrote a song in response to this, composed to the same tune by C Ramchandra, as a sarcastic rejoinder to those who tend to blame all of society’s ills on god’s will. The song, 'Dekh Tere Bhagwan Ki Haalat Kya Ho Gayi Insaan', from Railway Platform (1955), pointed to the differences between the rich and the poor, but instead of lamenting the actions of mankind and invoking god, as Pradeep did, Sahir turned it on its head to say god had changed![14]

Songlist (Hindi)
#TitleSinger
1 " Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan (Dekh Tere Sansar Ki Haalat)" Kavi Pradeep
2 "Tere Hote Hue Aaj Main Lut Rahi " Lata Mangeshkar
3 "Kanha Bajaye Bansari Aur Gwale Bajayen Manjeere" Lata Mangeshkar
4 "Jai Jai Ram Raghurai" Lata Mangeshkar
5 "Amrit Aur Zahar Donon Hain, Tere Phulon Se Bhi Pyaar" Lata Mangeshkar
6 "Hone Laga Hai Mujhpe Jawani Ka Ab Asar Jhuki Jaye Nazar " Lata Mangeshkar
7 " Kaise Aaye Hain Din Haye Andher Ke" Lata Mangeshkar
8 "Tere Phoolon Se Bhi Pyar" Lata Mangeshkar
9 "Gagan Jhanjhana Raha Pavan Sansana Raha" Lata Mangeshkar, Hemant Kumar
10 "Duniya Bhar Ke Nastik, Zor Laga Le Arrey Zamane" Lata Mangeshkar, C. Ramchandra

Songlist (Tamil)

All lyrics penned by Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam.[15]

#TitleSinger
1Maanilamel Sila MaanidaraalThiruchi Loganathan
2Vidhi Vinnil MeerudheThiruchi Loganathan & Lakshmi Shankar
3En Angamengum PongidutheLakshmi Shankar
4Amirdhamum Vishamum Serndhe
5Gopaalan Venuganam Paada
6Yeno Madamai Ulaginar Varuga
7Maaraa Maiyal
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References
  1. Kavita Daiya (4 February 2011). "5-The Early History of National Cinema, Before and After 1947". Violent Belongings: Partition, Gender, and National Culture in Postcolonial India. Temple University Press. pp. 154–. ISBN 978-1-59213-744-2. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  2. "Cast and Crew-Nastik 1954". gomolo.com. Gomolo. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  3. Gulazāra; Saibal Chatterjee (2003). "The Playback Era". Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema. Popular Prakashan. pp. 306–. ISBN 978-81-7991-066-5. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  4. "Nastik". citwf.com. Alan Goble. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  5. Film News Anandan (23 October 2004). Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru [History of Landmark Tamil Films] (in Tamil). Chennai: Sivakami Publishers.
  6. "ஹீரோவானார் டிஎம்எஸ்!" [TMS became a hero!]. Dinakaran (in Tamil). 22 April 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  7. Kavignar Pon. Sellamuthu. Kavignar Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam Thirai Isai Padalgal [Film lyrics of Poet Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam]. Manivasagar Publishers, Chennai 108 (Ph:044 25361039). Second edition November 2016. p. 191.
  8. Rachel Dwyer; Senior Lecturer in Indian Studies Rachel Dwyer (27 September 2006). Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema. Routledge. pp. 139–. ISBN 978-1-134-38070-1. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  9. Roy, Anjali Gera; Bhatia, Nandi (eds). "Notes-14". Partitioned Lives: Narratives of Home, Displacement, and Resettlement. pp. 210–. ISBN 978-93-325-0620-6. Retrieved 31 July 2015.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  10. Ashok Raj (1 November 2009). Hero Vol.2. Hay House, Inc. pp. 134–. ISBN 978-93-81398-03-6. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  11. Bhaskar Sarkar (29 April 2009). Mourning the Nation: Indian Cinema in the Wake of Partition. Duke University Press. pp. 369–. ISBN 0-8223-9221-6. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  12. B Vittal; A Bhattacharjee (15 June 2015). Gaata Rahe Mera Dil: 50 Classic Hindi Film Songs. HarperCollins Publishers India. pp. 235–. ISBN 978-93-5136-457-3. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  13. "Nastik (1954)". myswar.com. MySwar.com. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  14. Kahlon, Sukhpreet. "Questioning faith in turbulent times – IS Johar's Nastik (1954)". Cinestaan.com. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  15. G. Neelamegam. Thiraikalanjiyam — Part 2 (in Tamil). Manivasagar Publishers, Chennai 108 (Ph:044 25361039). First edition November 2016. p. 88.
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