Boot Polish (1954)

Preteen brother and sister, abandoned by their father, to be taken care of, by an abusive prostitute aunt, survive life in an Indian squatters' camp, aided by a friendly cripple, by learning to shine shoes instead of begging.

Director:

Prakash Arora

Writers:

Bhanu Pratap (dialogue), Bhanu Pratap (photoplay)

Stars:

Kumari Naaz, Ratan Kumar, David Abraham

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kumari Naaz	...	Belu (as Baby Naaz)
Ratan Kumar	...	Bhola (as Rattan Kumar)
David Abraham	...	John (as David)
Chand Burke	...	Kamla Devi (as Chand Burque)
Veera
Bhupendra Kapoor
Shailendra
Mohanbali
Nissar	...	(as Master Nisar)
Bhudo Advani	...	Pedro (as Budho Advani)
Prabhu Arora

Storyline

Toddlers Belu and Bhola share an uncertain future when their mom dies in the plague, and their dad is imprisoned. They are then left in the uncaring care of Kamla, their aunt, who moonlights as a prostitute. She is cruel,abusive and forces them to take to a life of begging on the local trains, on beaches and crowded areas in Bombay. This is how the toddlers grow up, they want to lead a respectable life, and with the help of bootlegger John, they get a shoe-shine kit and start shining shoes on busy sidewalks and railway platforms. Their circumstances face more uncertainty when Kamla finds out about their new-found profession, beats them up and throws them out of the house. They temporarily seek shelter with John, but when he is arrested, they have to fend for themselves. Things become bad to worse when Bombay enters the monsoon season, when people do not get their shoes shined; then the duo are separated - with Belu ending up with a rich family, and when she asks about Bhola, she is ...

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Plot Keywords:

boy | girl | poverty | slum | child beggar | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family

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Did You Know?

Connections

Remade as Morad and Laleh (1966)

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Soundtracks

Ther Jara Janewale, Babu Mister Gore Kale
Music by Shankarsingh Raghuwanshi & Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal

User Reviews

Touching Social Drama

This film ranks as one of the finest thought provoking social dramas asking how we look at ourselves given the limited resources and choices and faced with overwhelming odds. Raj Kapoor's presentation of the humble lifestyle of two children who wish to overcome the obstacles of abject poverty shows the importance of the spirit of endurance and dedication in the face of adversity. We can learn from children when they try to face challenges in the world created by greedy souls.

I would recommend this film as a lesson in the triumph of the human spirit when facing the evils of man made adversity. We probably can relate to the two youn protaganists of the film in our everyday lives. Life can be a bitch, and films such as BOOT POLISH show the more dramatic encounters of what we call the human struggle.

Details

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Release Date:

20 August 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mendigar o morir

Filming Locations:

Mumbai, India

Company Credits

Production Co:

R.K. Films Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

149 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1