Mother India

Radha was married to Shamu, but their marriage was financed with money from a loan shark, Sukhilala. In quick succession, she lost her husband, her mother-in-law, and her youngest son. When a storm and a flood ravage the village, Sukhilala offers Radha a deal: her body for food. She refuses, and tragedy strikes again.

Ben Singer: “An epic nation-building allegory steeped in post-independence Nehruvian ideals, this ambitious early color melodrama remains one of India’s most resilient cultural touchstones. It offers an intriguing example of the mode’s moral variability, with the first half of the film vivifying clear cut polarization of good versus evil while the second half unfolds an intractable and ultimately fateful dilemma. Teaser: The production was intimately linked to Antwerp; can you spot it in the credits?”

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