IMDb > Upkar (1967)

Overview

User Rating:
8.6/10   104 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 32% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Manoj Kumar (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Good Deed on IMDbPro.
Genre:
Plot:
Cult classic highlighting the contrast between Indian and Western values in the newly independent state. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
4 wins more
NewsDesk:
Sohail Khan on his role in Kissan
 (From RealBollywood. 25 August 2009, 11:03 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
An August 15 Cult Classic more (2 total)

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
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Good Deed (International: English title)
Sangam Upkar (India: Hindi title)
more
Runtime:
175 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Movie Connections:
Featured in Bollywood Bound (2001) more
Soundtrack:
Mere Desh Ki Dharti more

FAQ

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful.
An August 15 Cult Classic, 14 October 2003
Author: Joyojeet Pal from United States

Upkaar is shamefully ignored by the entire academic film theory / postmodernist community. It has probably been played on TV on independence day in India more than any other film, and is in my opinion a landmark film of sorts.

Manoj Kumar as the faultless Bharat is the epitome of 'Ram Rajya' and Asha Parekh is the immaculately subservient partner. Prem Chopra is the brother gone astray, turned over by the collusion of the western influences of the city, and the evil moneylender/landlord (and thus, both evils are one!). Several symbols of nationhood, benevolent military, self-sacrificing mothers (and westernized wenches) present a complete, unadulterated picture of the struggles of the rigteous in a rising nation-state. See Chinese propaganda films of the Great Leap Forward, the farm-worker parallels are astonishing.

Interestingly, this was not just a turning point in Manoj Kumar's career (he did a number of patriotic roles after this), but also in Pran's career - usually playing villain, Pran excelled here as a crippled peasant, a role that entirely changed his own career path in the Hindi film industry.

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