Upkar (1967)

Cult classic highlighting the contrast between Indian and Western values in the newly independent state.

Director:

Manoj Kumar

Writer:

Manoj Kumar

Stars:

Asha Parekh, Manoj Kumar, Prem Chopra

4 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Asha Parekh	...	Kavita
Manoj Kumar	...	Bharat
Prem Chopra	...	Puran 'Kumar'
Kanhaiyalal	...	Lala Dhaniram
David Abraham	...	Major saab (as David)
Manmohan Krishna	...	Kishan (as Manmohankrishan)
Madan Puri	...	Charan Das (as Madanpuri)
Aruna Irani
Sunder	...	Sunder Lal
Asit Sen	...	Lakhpati
Mohan Choti	...	Mangal
Shammi
Laxmi Chhaya
Mahesh	...	(as Master Mahesh)
Manmohan	...	Kavita's Brother

Storyline

Widowed Radha lives in rural India circa 1960s, along with two sons, Bharat and Puran. While she would like to educate her sons, and ensure that they lead good lives, she cannot do so on her own, and must sacrifice the career of one son so that the second can achieve this goal. For this purpose, Bharat willingly sacrifices his life, toils hard so that Puran can get a decent education, which he does, excels in his studies, and also goes abroad. The family is very pleased, when Puran returns, hoping that he will ensure that they all live happily in India. But the man they know as Puran has been replaced by a cruel, self-serving man who now calls himself Kumar, and whose one goal is to usurp and divide the family property, so that he can continue to live a comfortable life. "Kasme vaade pyar wafa sab, baaten hai, baaton ka kya, koi kisika nahin, yeh jhootey naahtey hai, naahton ka kya..." by Manna Dey, continues to be popular even today, which translated means that "Promises, faith, love...

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Also Known As:

Good Deed

Filming Locations:

Guru Dutt Studios, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Company Credits

Production Co:

Modern Studios, V.I.P. Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

175 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Leading lady Asha Parekh had an image as a dancing heroine. Star and filmmaker Manoj Kumar wanted to change her image, since she was playing a doctor promoting planned parenthood, so he gave her only two dance moves in the entire film.

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Connections

Spoofed in Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Aayi Jhoomke Basant"
Sung by Asha Bhosle, Mahendra Kapoor, Manna Dey
Music composed by Kalyanji-Anandji
Lyrics by Prem Dhawan

User Reviews

Good Classic

This is a very good patriotic movie.Storyline:stridently nationalistic melodrama with which Manoj Kumar launched a series casting himself as good hero Bharat, contrasting his son-of-the soil simplicity with Westernised decadence (of Purab Aur Paschim, 1970) He tends to the family fields to pay for bad younger brother Puran's (Chopra) education, but Puran spends it all in a dissolute life in the city. When the villain (Puri), who had killed their father, encourage enmity between the brothers, Bharat surrenders all his property and joins the Indian Army. The villain follows him into the war and tries to kill him, but he is rescued by the crippled soldier Malang Baba (Pran, attempting a change of screen image). Meanwhile Puran, who heads a nationwide network of smugglers and black marketers, recants and helps the government to crack the gang. Bharat is saved in a medical operation performed by his girlfriend (Asha Parkh). Much of strident rhetoric along with the peasant-and-soldier iconography (illustrating the Jai Jawan Jai Kisan slogan) is in the context of India's war with Pakistan the previous year. The film's nationalism is encapsulated in its theme song Mere Desh Ki Dharti (sung by Mahendra Kapoor), and the other hit is Lata Mangeshkar's Har Khushi Ho Wahan.