New Delhi: 

Cinema never was a prime time hobby in my student days. The city of Srinagar in the Valley didn’t afford many cinema halls and affording a ticket as a student was even more challenging. Therefore, when ‘Kranti’ was released to much anticipation, getting an entry into the hall was no less than a true luxury.

A few friends summoned courage to engage with agents selling black tickets and after much negotiation finally got through. It was the first sighting of a mega blockbuster.

But the big takeaway was the thunderous applause for the plot led by Manoj Kumar, who championed himself as the true son of ‘Bharat’ out there to avenge the British and make a bold patriotic statement.

The movie acquired cult status apart from being a Silver Jubilee hit marking its popularity across geographies. That Kashmir endorsed ‘Bharat Kumar’ showcased the director’s unique appeal.

But Kumar remained until his death, this morning, the ultimate king of patriotic genre. He had the ability to stitch together a dream team comprising Indivar, who wrote the lyrics for ‘Poorab Aur Paschim’, Salim-Javed and Kalyan Ji Anand JI duo, who scripted many of his blockbusters in the 70’s and 80’s. ‘Bharat’ was himself probably not the best of actors but his genius lay in the art of cinema exploring its virtues from a 360 degree perspective. His art and craft in a very impactful yet subtle and mature view of patriotism made him a true national hero.

Released in 1970, ‘Poorab Aur Paschim’ happens to till date the most defining statement of ‘Bharatitya or being Indian”. The evergreen lyrics from Indivar have etched for generations to come the core ethos of India in contrast to the western world. That too without being preachy and being matter of fact and truly humble.

While each word from the eternal song gives goosebumps to generations of patriotic Indians, my utmost favourite is the central stanza:

“Hai preet jahaan ki reet sada
Main geet wahaan ke gaata hoon
Bharat ka rehne waala hoon
Bharat ki baat sunata hoon
Kuchh aur na aata ho hum ko
Humein pyaar nibhana aata hai
Jise maan chuki saari duniya
Main baat wohi dohrata hoon
Bharat ka rehne waala hoon
Bharat ki baat sunata hoon…”

The idea of Bharat that is India has been mainstreamed by Manoj Kumar. In his death, let us celebrate his unmatched contribution to using cinema as a medium to send down a message, yesterday, today and tomorrow! Most importantly, at a time when India is aspiring to secure its due place in the global arena, out pitch must be a showcase of Indivar’s lyrics.

Also, as a student of communication, I must say with due respect to Marshall McLuhan, the renowned communications scientist, Bharat Kumar has shown that the message is the medium and not the other way round.

Hope young India is listening. If not, tune into the legend called ‘Bharat’ to know why you should take pride in your roots.

This wasn’t my first exposure to the genius of Kumar. In early days of DD weekly movie release, ‘Upkar’, a landmark cinematic statement, introduced me to the legend. My father prepped me for the big evening as if it was the biggest lesson he wanted me and my siblings to attend. For him, it wasn’t a movie but an unrivalled sentiment to soak in the art of patriotism. The movie, released in 1967, inspired by the former Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, celebrated the farmer and the jawan, introducing ‘Bharat’ to India, with the directorial debut, creating an unapparelled benchmark both in commercial as also nation building.

‘Bharat’ endured the India story as it navigated the passage of time with the actor dominating the mind space right through the decades of 60’s and 70’s. Manoj Kumar enthralled the audience with socialistic themes mirroring the society with blockbusters like ‘Roti Kapada Aur Makan’, a statement that defines the Indian socio-economic paradigm many decades after the release of the film. Many current welfare schemes of the Union government as also various states mirror this basic need for 1.4 billion people of the country.

Kumar was the original author of the Indian narrative. He extolled the virtues of ‘Bharat’ like probably no one else has done and that is why he had a universal appeal. While he quit acting in 1995, Kumar didn’t achieve much success with his movies through the decade of 80’s and 90’s, when the genre had pivoted away from patriotism to the angst of the angry young man.

Read More:

How to make creamy suji ka halwa for Kanjak with right proportions