Sujata (1959 film)

Sujata
Directed by	Bimal Roy
Produced by	Bimal Roy
Written by	Nabendu Ghosh (screenplay), Subodh Ghosh (story), Paul Mahendra (dialogue)
Starring	Nutan Sunil Dutt Lalita Pawar
Music by	S. D. Burman
Cinematography	Kamal Bose
Edited by	Amit Bose
Release dates	May 1960 (Cannes)
Running time	161 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Sujata is a 1959 Hindi language Bimal Roy film. The film starred Sunil Dutt and Nutan supported by Lalita Pawar and Shashikala. Based on a Bengali short story of the same name by writer Subodh Ghosh,^[1] the film explored the situation of caste in India. The music is by S. D. Burman and the lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. It was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.^[2]

Plot

Sujata is a romance between a Brahmin young man, Adheer (Sunil Dutt) and an untouchable woman, Sujata (Nutan). The movie has Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's fight against untouchability and the myth of Chandalika in Hinduism as its subtexts on the basis of which it tries to criticize the practice of untouchability in India.

Brahmin couple Upen and Charu bring up the orphaned Sujata. Although Upen is fond of the adoptive child, his wife Charu and mother can never fully embrace Sujata because she is an untouchable. They never fail to remind Sujata that she doesn't belong amongst Brahmins. One day, Upen's wife falls down the stairs and is rushed to the hospital. The doctors tell the family that in order to save Charu, they need blood of a rare group. Only Sujata's blood matches, and she willingly donates blood. When Upen's wife knows that her life was saved by Sujata, she realizes her mistakes and accepts her as her daughter. Sujata and Adheer are finally married.

Cast

• Nutan ... Sujata
• Sunil Dutt ... Adhir
• Shashikala ... Rama Chowdhury
• Lalita Pawar ... Giribala (Buaji / aunt)
• Tarun Bose ... Upendranath Chowdhury
• Sulochana Latkar ... Charu Chowdhury (as Sulochana)
• Asit Sen ... Pandit Bhawani Shankar Sharma
• Ashim Kumar
• Paul Mahendra ... Actor in theatrical production
• Baij Sharma
• Brahm Bhardwaj ... Masterji (as Brahm Dutt)
• Moni Chatterjee ... Father of the supposed Sujata's groom
• Sabitri Devi
• Shivji Bhai
• Sailen Bose
• Madhup Sharma ... Drunk bet (as Madhup)
• Sanghvi
• Master Sohni
• Baby Farida ... Young Rama
• Baby Shobha ... Young Sujata
• Salil Bhatt .... Stammering Man seeking Sujata's Hand

Awards

• Golden Palm - Cannes Film Festival - Nominated ^[3]
• Filmfare Best Actress Award - Nutan - Won
• Filmfare Best Director Award - Bimal Roy - Won
• Filmfare Best Movie Award - Bimal Roy - Won
• Filmfare Best Story Award - Subodh Ghosh - Won
• National Film Awards (1959) All India Certificate of Merit for the Third Best Feature Film^[4]

Soundtrack

Song	Singer(s)
Jalte Hain Jiske Liye Teri Aankhon Ke Diye	Talat Mehmood
Kaali Ghata Chhaye Mora Jiya Tarsaaye	Asha Bhosle
Bachpan Ke Din Bhi Kya Din The	Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhosle
Tum Jiyo Hazaaron Saal, Saal Ke Din Ho Pachaas Hazaar	Asha Bhosle
Suno Mere Bandhu Re, Suno Mere Mitwa	S. D. Burman
Nanhi Kali Sone Chali Hawa Dheere Aana	Geeta Dutt
Andhe Ne Bhi Sapne Dekha Kya Hai Zamaana... Waah Bhai Waah	Mohammed Rafi

References

1. Gulzar; Govind Nihalani; Saibal Chatterjee (2003). Encyclopaedia of Hindi cinema. Popular Prakashan. p. 337. ISBN 81-7991-066-0.
2. "Festival de Cannes: Sujata". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
3. Awards IMDB.
4. "7th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved September 4, 2011.

External links

• Sujata at the Internet Movie Database