Lights-Camera-War.Pdf

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This book has been published with all efforts taken to make the material error-free after the consent of the author. However, the author and the publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

While every effort has been made to avoid any mistake or omission, this publication is being sold on the condition and understanding that neither the author nor the publishers or printers would be liable in any manner to any person by reason of any mistake or omission in this publication or for any action taken or omitted to be taken or advice rendered or accepted on the basis of this work. For any defect in printing or binding the publishers will be liable only to replace the defective copy by another copy of this work then available. CONTENTS

Acknowledgments �� 5 Author’s Note �� 7 Introduction: India and War Films �� 13 How To “Judge” A War Film: Ratings and Clichés �� 25

Conventional Wars and India �� 31 1. 1950 – Samadhi �� 37 2. 1960 – Usne Kaha Tha �� 41 3. 1961 – Hum Dono �� 44 4. 1963 – Phool Baney Angaarey �� 50 5. 1963 – Ratha Thilagam �� 53 6. 1964 – Haqeeqat �� 56 7. 1972 – Lalkar �� 63 8. 1973 – Hindustan ki Kasam �� 67 9. 1975 – Aakraman �� 71 10. 1982 – Vijeta ��74 11. 1997 – Border �� 78 12. 2003 – LOC Kargil �� 84 13. 2004 – Lakshya �� 89 14. 2005 – Bose: The Forgotten Hero �� 93 15. 2008 – Kurukshetra �� 99 16. 2014 – Kya Dili Kya Lahore �� 102 1 7. 2015 – Kanche �� 105 18. 2017 – “1971 – Beyond Borders” �� 111 19. 2017 – The Ghazi Attack ��115 20. 2018 – Paltan ��119 2 1. 2018 – Sajjan Singh Rangroot �� 122 22. 2018 – Subedar Joginder Singh �� 126 23. 2019 – 72 Hours �� 129 24. 2019 – The Great Indian Escape aka Khuley Aasman ki Ore �� 131 25. 2020 – Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl �� 135 Honorable Mention �� 139 4 Contents

Unconventional Wars, Internal Security Operations and India �� 145 26. 1992 – Roja �� 150 2 7. 1994 – Droh Kaal/1995 – Kuruthipunal (Tamil) �� 154 28. 1996 – Maachis �� 157 29. 1998 – Theevravadi (Terrorist) �� 161 30. 2000 – Pukar �� 165 3 1. 2003 – Zameen �� 168 32. 2005 – Tango Charlie �� 172 33. 2005 – Yahaan ��176 34. 2006 – Keerthi Chakra �� 179 35. 2007 – Mission 90 Days �� 182 36. 2010 – Kandahar �� 185 3 7. 2010 – Lamhaa �� 188 38. 2010 – Red Alert: The War Within �� 191 39. 2019 – Uri �� 194 Honorable Mention �� 200

Other Wars and Military Life �� 205 40. 1973 – Achanak �� 208 4 1. 1990 – Muthina Haara �� 212 42. 1991 – Prahaar �� 215 43. 2003 – Dhoop �� 220 44. 2004 – Ab Tumhare Hawaley Watan Saathiyon �� 224 45. 2007 – 1971 �� 227 46. 2008 – Shaurya �� 230 4 7. 2009 – Sikandar �� 233 48. 2013 – War Chhod na Yaar �� 236 49. 2015 – Picket 43 �� 240 50. 2018 – Aiyaari �� 243

The Future of the Indian War Film �� 247 Bibliography �� 251 Appendix I: Abbreviations �� 253 Appendix II: Ranks In Indian Armed Forces �� 261 Appendix III: Indian Gallantry Awards �� 263 Notes and References �� 265 Index �� 285 CONVENTIONAL WARS AND INDIA

Most regiments and units of the Indian Army have lineages or histories dating back to the 18th and/or 19th century. The regimental system combined with the British restructuring resulted in the birth of the modern Indian Armed Forces[47] by the early 20th century. The Indian Armed Forces were involved in many wars and campaigns since the time they assumed a centralized structure in the early 20th Century. Starting with World War 1, the Indian Armed Forces have fought in the following conventional wars where the “enemy” forces are clear, follow the “rules of war”, and are covered by the Geneva Convention for treatment of POWs. 1. World War 1 – 1914-1918: Indian troops served in the mass slaughter of the Western Front and fought not only in France but also in East Africa, Mesopotamia (parts of modern-day Iraq and Syria), Palestine, Gallipoli, and even China. The British raised a monument to the martyred Indian soldiers at India Gate in New Delhi, which is now the Amar Jawan Memorial. The role of these Indian soldiers is now slowly emerging – 100 years after The War to End all Wars[48]. By the end of the war, roughly 1.5 million troops, mostly from rural backgrounds, had served in the military of which one million served overseas. Of these one million, approximately 60,000+ died in action. As more interest is generated, surely more books on this once taboo topic will become available. At least one Indian film Sajjan Singh Rangroot has done justice to those soldiers and their participation. Result: Victories in many campaigns and the Indian Army added many battle honors to its history. 2. World War 2 – 1939-1945: While scholars debate what was the actual starting date of WW2, with some saying that it should be taken as 1937 due to the Japanese assault on China[49], the Indian involvement began in 1939 when the Viceroy of India Lord Linlithgow, followed the British 32 Lights Camera War!

declaration of war on Germany, without consulting the government composed largely of the Congress representatives. This resulted in the largest volunteer Armed Forces of all time being raised between 1939 and 1945. Approximately 2.5 million men and women volunteered to serve in the Indian Armed Forces across the world on land, air, and sea[50]. This was unlike WW1 which was largely an Army campaign where some Indian fighter pilots served with the RFC[51] (and no naval forces to speak of). Wherever the British fought, Indian soldiers, airmen and sailors were present, in terrains ranging from the North African Desert, Middle East, East Africa, Italy, and the jungles of Burma. Between 1945 and 1947, Indian troops served as “peacekeepers” in some of the colonies such as French Indochina, Indonesia, and Thailand. At Partition, the Armed Forces were divided between India and Pakistan. The Indian Armed Forces got a valuable asset in WW2 – experience in higher command. Brigadier Cariappa became the highest-ranking Indian officer while almost the entire cadre of senior officers and future chiefs of independent India (and Pakistan) served in WW2. WW2 is still controversial no doubt stoked by lopsided views of whether the Indian participation was correct or not, the larger proportion of fame being given to the INA as “true Indians” fueled by politicians of all views, and some ridiculous writers denouncing the “British” Indian Army as “mercenaries”. There are some books available for both the serious historian and the curious reader about the Indian Army in action in all the theaters. There have been films as early as 1945 which range from the British propaganda of Burma Rani (Tamil) to post-independence films such as Samadhi (1950), Hum Dono (1961), and more, which showed Indians fighting on the British side. Except for Samadhi, very few showed Indians fighting against fellow Indians (and in that case, the INA hero fought the British and not his brother who happened to be in the Indian Army!) The perspective on “divided loyalty” is made clear by two of the highest-ranking officers, who served in the British Indian Army. They were told in no uncertain terms that even if they are bound by oath to the British and even if their hearts were entirely Indian, they should still serve on the British side as a post-independent India would still require professionally trained officers in the Army to be part of a modern Conventional Wars and India 33

democratic India[52]. Result: Victories and experience in many campaigns and birth of the modern Indian Armed Forces with the fledgling Indian Air Force and Indian Navy coming into their own as professional services. 3. 1947 India-Pakistan War (October 1947–January 1949): Pakistan invaded Kashmir in October 1947, barely three months after Independence. The dithering of the Kashmiri Maharaja Hari Singh resulted in a diplomatic headache forever but his immediate signing of the Instrument of Accession meant that the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force could be formally involved in pushing back the “liberators” and “freedom fighters”. The cease-fire was finally declared in January 1949 and resulted in the Kashmir imbroglio which continues to date. Though Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession, Pakistan’s refusal to accept this outcome has meant that the post-independence Pakistani history and polity have all been about “liberating Kashmir”. Both the Indian Army and Indian Air Force saw action. Result: Inconclusive, resulting in the current Line of Control (LOC). 4. 1948 – Hyderabad (September 13-19): It would be better to classify “Operation Polo” as an internal security operation but given that the State of Hyderabad had its own armored and infantry regiments, which fought the Indian Army, this could rightly be termed a short “war” though it was termed as a “Police action”. Some armored clashes took place and the paramilitary “razakars” of the Hyderabad State engaged in acts of communal violence resulting in the Indian Army being used in a “Police action”. The Nizam of Hyderabad, who dreamed of an independent Hyderabad, finally signed the Instrument of Accession. No film has been made on this topic to date[53]. Result: Indian victory and the State of Hyderabad accedes to India. 5. 1961 – Goa “liberation”(December 8–9, 1961): Operation Vijay was hardly a war as the Indian Army just walked in and overwhelmed the meager Portuguese defenses in 48 hours but not before the Air Force bombed Dabolim Airfield and the Navy blockaded the sea, off the Goan coast. This has hardly featured in any film; after all, how does one make a film on an operation that lasted just 48 hours? Saath Hindustani (1969) [54] is a much-touted film on the Goan “liberation” except that the seven “Indians” do everything non-violently and all the violence is restricted (on-screen) to the sadistic Portuguese. Result: Indian “victory” and Goa joins India as a Union Territory. 34 Lights Camera War!

6. 1962 – India-China War (October 20–November 21): China invaded India on two fronts at the NEFA (present-day Arunachal Pradesh) and Ladakh. Indian forces were roundly defeated by a combination of poor civil and military leadership, inadequate equipment, and plain panic at the higher levels of civil and military leadership. The ordinary soldiers fought well at the tactical level and in a few cases to the last man and last bullet. The Air Force was restricted to supply and logistical flights of transport planes and helicopters, and no combat sorties based on a wrong intelligence assessment about Chinese Air Force capabilities. The month-long war was completely overshadowed by the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis (October 16-28) which occurred at the same time. Recently available information[55] proves that Prime Minister Nehru sent frantic telegrams to President Kennedy for American support against the Chinese. The US answered much later with a show of force, sending American nuclear-capable F-100 Super Sabre fighter bombers to operate from North India and Ladakh in November 1963[56] - a full year after the war. The Chinese withdrew after having “taught” India a “lesson. The disputed border is known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Result: Major Indian defeat and India decides to rearm, expand and modernize its Armed Forces. 7. 1965 India-Pakistan War (September 1-23, 1965): Pakistan tried unsuccessfully to fuel an insurgency in Kashmir, and India retaliated with a conventional operation in the plains of Punjab. Three weeks of seesaw fighting ended with a draw and inconclusive results though both sides claimed victory. Pakistan celebrates September 6 as Defense Day – the day on which “India attacked Pakistan” and was “saved” by the Pakistani Armed Forces. The BJP government of 2014-19 has also followed suit by declaring 1965 as a “victory” but hard-nosed observers and serious military historians have generally concluded that both sides behaved with an equal amount of bravery, and stupidity. The Indian Army and Air Force, both undergoing reorganization and expansion after the 1962 debacle, fought heavy battles on the Western borders. The “Eastern” front saw raids by Pakistan Air Force but no ground war. The Indian Navy was largely inactive as most of the ships were in refit and the Navy was left out of the planning. As if to add insult to the Navy’s injury of non-participation, the Pakistani Navy shelled Dwarka though there were no fatalities[57]. One of the biggest errors on the Indian side happened when General Chaudhuri Conventional Wars and India 35

recommended an acceptance of the cease-fire thinking that the Army was running out of war stock whereas the stocks were adequate[58] [59]; actually, Pakistan was running out of war stocks and gladly accepted the cease-fire. Result: Inconclusive/draw. 8. 1971 India-Pakistan War also known as Bangladesh War (December 3–16, 1971): East Pakistan was conquered in 14 days by the Indian Army in a lightning campaign that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh while in the West, the Indian Armed Forces were mostly on the defensive. A well-planned combined offensive resulted in stunning victories on both Fronts. The Army, Navy, and Air Force proved their mettle and truly practiced the philosophy of joint operations on both fronts. The Indian Navy carried out daring raids on Karachi harbor on December 4 and thus was finally blooded in action; Navy Day is celebrated on December 4 every year. Result: Decisive victory for India and the creation of Bangladesh. 9. Siachen Glacier “war” (April 1984-???): Ever since India pre-empted Pakistan’s plan to occupy the heights of the Siachen glacier in April 1984 with Operation Meghdhoot, Pakistan has time and again attacked the far- flung posts to dislodge Indian troops from the territory which it claims as its own. The “world’s highest battlefield” is not just an exaggeration where infantry combat including hand-to-hand combat has occurred, often supported by artillery on both sides. A tenuous peace exists and Pakistan keeps making all sorts of claims, and counterclaims including an offer for talks to “demilitarize” the areas. Extreme weather has claimed more Indian lives than actual combat in an “undeclared war”, which saw the award of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) to Naib Subedar Bana Singh of the J&K Light Infantry in June 1987 - this in itself speaks for the ferocity of the fighting. To date, there is no single film on this “war’[60]. Result: Decisive Indian victory. 10. 1999 India-Pakistan War also known as Kargil War (May 3–July 26, 1999): A eleven-week operation to evict “freedom fighters” from the heights of Kargil and other posts on the mountain ranges overlooking the Srinagar-Leh highway led to a decisive Indian victory but not before nuclear swords were rattled and the world held its breath. The Indian Army learned some hard lessons from the well dug-in “freedom fighters”, who turned out to be Pakistani Army regulars. A combination of Army and Air Force attacks resulted in the capture of all the occupied points 36 Lights Camera War!

and a return to the status quo antebellum but not before a casualty list that spoke of young junior officers leading from the front and paying the price. Result: Decisive Indian victory.

Forward March to the Films!

✽ ✽ ✽ Conventional Wars and India: 1950 – Samadhi 37 1950 – SAMADHI

➢➢ Director: Ramesh Saigal. Lyrics: Rajendra Krishan[61]. Music: C. Ramachandra ➢➢ War Covered: WW2, Burma Front. Language: Hindi ➢➢ Why you should see it: Two brothers on opposite sides during WW2 ➢➢ Plot: In Singapore, Subhash Chandra Bose asks the local population to join his revived Indian National Army (INA) aka Azad Hind Fauj, and liberate India from the British. Bose auctions his garland which the wealthy Shekhar (Ashok Kumar) buys for seven lakhs, and since that’s the maximum he has, the auction is stopped. His elder brother Suresh (Shyam) is with the (British) Indian Army and is secretly sent to Singapore to get information from a spy network where his girlfriend Dolly D’Souza (Kuldeep Kaur) is a member. After secretly meeting Dolly, when Suresh meets his blind father Badri Prasad (Ram Prasad), Shekhar and younger brother Pratap refuse to side with him and even threaten to expose him to the Japanese. Shekhar starts liking Dolly’s younger sister Lily D’Souza (Nalini Jaywant), who is also part of the spy ring run by a ruthless boss (Mubarak), who is sending information to the British and Suresh by wireless. Lily’s brief to extract information from Shekhar is successful and his INA column is ambushed and destroyed. Treachery is suspected and can’t be proved. When another INA column is ambushed, the D’Souza sisters are caught after Shekhar gets the truth out of Lily and denounces them. The INA court sentences them to death by hanging. A year later, with the Japanese on the offensive and at the Indian borders, Shekhar is sent on a mission to Kohima to blow up a vital bridge… ◙ Based on a true story. So goes the blurb at the beginning of the film. Supposedly based on a young man promising his entire wealth of Rs. Seven lakhs to the INA, a gigantic sum in 1943, Samadhi is the story of two brothers on opposite sides of the Indian military divide during WW2. For all its pro-INA sentiment, the pertinent question is asked right in the beginning when Suresh asks his father, “If the Japanese win, will they let Netaji and the INA rule India?” It’s surprising that as early as 1950, this question was voiced in a mainstream film as it has become increasingly popular in the 21st century to portray only 38 Lights Camera War! the INA and Bose as the true “victors” as compared to the (British) Indian Army, which fought on all fronts where the British fought. The political chicanery fueled (and continues to fuel) popular feelings in favor of the INA at that time and some of the returning Indian Army veterans were even derided for their participation on the British side[62]. The topic continues to be a sore one even today with the recognition always given to the INA and Indian successes on the British side either downplayed or quietly forgotten. The film however plays more like an espionage thriller rather than a pure war film as the military angle is restricted to raising of the INA, assassination attempts on Bose, and the final “attack on Kohima”. The fiction is more entertaining than the fact when at the end of the movie, a title card says, “Kohima was won”! In the prevalent atmosphere of lionizing the INA and its achievements in battle, no one even asked the basic question about who won the Battle of Kohima (the British and its Empire troops did) and what was the INA’s contribution to this “victory”. The audience, then as now, didn’t care too much for history as the film was one of the biggest hits of 1950. This film is nothing but “keep your brains outside the theater” style entertainer with two styles of acting on-screen. The theatrical one with Kuldip Kaur and Mubarak rolling their eyes at the screen while Ashok Kumar does his effortless conversational style of dialogue delivery. Dada Moni as he was affectionately known later, is a picture of sadness when he knows about Lily’s betrayal; he doesn’t rant but quietly gives evidence to the INA Committee against her, his sadness written large on his face. Simply brilliant in an otherwise unbelievable film. Then as now it’s Dada Moni all the way and even seventy years later, it is easy to see why he was considered to be one of the finest actors of Hindi cinema. He advocates the politics and beliefs of the INA in a matter-of-fact style without screaming and shouting, and this is when you see Shekhar the Indian patriot. The tirades, bombast, and super patriotic dialogues are left for the other on-screen characters. The plot keeps slipping back and forth till we are left confounded. Suresh keeps jumping in and out of Singapore as if he is taking a Mumbai local train. Only once the word submarine is used; no other explanation about how he arrives in broad daylight with immaculate uniform. There are many loopholes in the story but the public lapped it up at that time. Samadhi was the biggest box office hit of the 1950, no doubt helped by the first song of the movie Conventional Wars and India: 1950 – Samadhi 39

‘Gorey Gorey o baanke chorey’ based on a tune in the 1945 English film Doll Face ‘Chico Chico from Puerto Rico’ [63]. The film’s strength stems from Ashok Kumar’s superb performance and he is low-key and natural as compared to the overdramatic “acting” by everyone else in the cast. A big hit during its time, the film looks very dated and hardly historic. The dramatic story of two brothers on opposite sides of the WW2 Indian military divide is undoubtedly something to ponder and perhaps the only film to show such a divide on-screen, albeit in a fictional manner. a. The real history behind the movie: 3 – This is a work of pure fiction. Kohima was NOT won by the INA or the Japanese. In fact, Kohima was declared as the “Stalingrad of the East” and a huge reversal of Japanese fortunes on the Burma Front as they were continuously on the defensive after their defeat at Kohima and Imphal. The poorly equipped INA was never trusted by the Japanese and despite some local victories, ultimately retreated from the Indian borders hotly pursued by the British. That is shown at the end when Shekhar’s younger brother Pratap dies on “the retreat”. No doubt affected by the defeat, some of the INA soldiers started surrendering to the British, who issued special instructions to capture them and not shoot them out of hand as happened in some cases[64]. At its time, the assassination attempt on Bose as shown in the movie was a masala plot device but new evidence shows that the British did plan Bose’s assassination[65]. b. Equipment and kit: 3 – Some of the INA kit and badges look real and so too the British badges. It’s with the small arms and heavy equipment that things go erratic. The INA mostly used captured British small arms and equipment but this doesn’t reflect anywhere in the film. c. Locales or substitutes: 3 – Mostly studio-bound and we can make out that these are all sets. Even the final climax in “Kohima” is clearly set in a studio. d. Masala factor: 2 – The masala and hokum are unbelievable. Who cares anyway? It’s a movie. e. Goof-ups: 2 – Surely, anyone would love to join the INA when you can get promoted from Havildar to Captain at the snap of a finger; as happens to Shekhar! Shekhar is shown flying with Lily in a plane with Indian VT (civil) registration while the INA staff usually flew in Japanese military planes. (At least a red Japanese circle would have been useful). 40 Lights Camera War! f. Role of women: 3 – For a film made in the 1950s, both the female leads are given equal importance along with the male leads. They are singers, British spies, INA soldiers – perhaps it’s a reflection of the see-saw nature of the war that some INA recruits defected back at the first opportunity (due to Japanese ill-treatment) while other INA recruits (like Shekhar) stayed steadfast in their commitments and ideals. g. Music: 4 – There is no connection between the music and the story. The first song is the super hit ‘Gorey Gorey’ which overshadows all the other songs. If it’s C. Ramchandra (aka Annasaheb) then Lata Mangeshkar will be around and she gets two solos ‘Wo paas aa rahey hain’, ‘Abhi shaam aayegi’. Annasaheb himself chips in with two solos ‘Netaji ka jeevan’ and during the long retreat from India the INA marching song ‘Kadam badhayeja na dar’.

Final rating: 2.8 out of 5 Conventional Wars and India: 1960 – Usne Kaha Tha 41 1960 – USNE KAHA THA

➢➢ Producer: Bimal Roy. Director: Moni Bhattacharjee. Lyrics: Shailendra; Makhdoom Mohiuddin (Jaane waale sipahi se). Music. Salil Chowdhury[66] ➢➢ War Covered: World War 2, Burma Front. Language: Hindi ➢➢ Why you should see it? Song studded love triangle set during WW2 ➢➢ Plot: Nandu (Sunil Dutt) lives with his widowed mother (Durga Khote) in a small village, somewhere in Punjab. He is friendly with his neighbor Farida (Indrani Mukherjee[67]) and Kamli (Nanda), who after living in a different city for years, has come back. In a village fair, the attraction between the loafer Nandu and Kamli is noticed by everyone including a confidant of Kamli’s uncle. On hearing this, the uncle decides to marry her off but not before insulting Nandu’s mother who has gone pleading Nandu’s marriage alliance. Wanting to “make something of himself”, Nandu joins the Army. After his training, he gets 21 days’ leave and returns to tend to his sick mother with the help of his neighbor Farida and soon learns about Kamli’s marriage. He gets drunk, returns home, and sleeps it off. Within a couple of days, the news is all over the village that the Japanese have attacked India and he goes back to his Regiment. When everyone comes to see off the soldiers going to war, he finds that Kamli is married to his immediate superior Havildar Ram Singh (Tarun Bose), a mature experienced soldier. She extracts a promise from Nandu to protect Ram Singh. He goes off to war… ◙ If the film had been made as per the original story, then this would have been one of the rare films to be set against the background of World War 1 as the original short story was published in 1915[68]. Cliché No. 1 and cliché No. 3 make their swift appearance. Don’t have a job? Insulted by your beloved’s family? Presto! Join the Army. (Cliché No.1 has continued well into the 21st century, as we shall see). Sunil Dutt, a true-blue Punjabi, brings energy into his role as the slacker turned serious soldier and in one of his better performances brings a rare depth to the character. Slacker and lay about. Then the wounded insulted man. Then a model soldier till he learns of Kamli’s marriage after which he goes on a rampage in the barracks, resulting in “pittoo parade” – donning full kit and rifle, and running around the area as ordered by his superior Havildar Ram Singh. That the village is somewhere in Punjab, a historically fertile recruiting 42 Lights Camera War! ground for the Army, is shown by the syntax, the dress, and the accents of the soldiers. As if to drive home the point, Nandu is shown entering the Training Center of the Punjab Regiment[69]. Army life is shown as it is with strict rosters, reporting, punishments, and discipline. The training scenes are well shown with Nandu and fellow slacker turned soldier Randheera (Rajendranath playing, as usual, the hero’s sidekick for some silly comedy) going through the training with Randheera making a mess of things while Nandu succeeds admirably. The sparse lives of the soldiers, in the barracks, without any major luxuries, are also shown briefly. In keeping with the title, the love story is given more focus. But one hour into the film, the Army does play a major role in the proceedings. It’s only when Nandu sees Kamli at the railway station that he is confronted with the whims of fate and results in him saving Ram Singh’s life later. This is of course an Indian variation to the “Dear John” syndrome; if the soldier/main character loses the woman forever, then he usually dies in action. The battle scenes are shoddy – stock shots mixed indiscriminately. The film could have been great but becomes just ‘another love triangle set in a war’ than a pure war film! a. The real history behind the movie: 3 – In early 1942, the Japanese attacked all the British, French, Dutch, and American colonies in Asia and were soon at the gates of India. Then as of now, most of the ordinary soldiers are from rural backgrounds, and that way the film is authentic in showing the recruitment pattern. That they are Punjabis is beyond doubt with various Punjabi words strewn into the syntax and language. One of the rare films to show soldiers in the junior ranks involved in the fighting with no officer in sight. b. Equipment and kit: 4 – The Indian Army of 1960 still had its World War 2 kit and uniforms intact; so the authenticity is very high. c. Locales or substitutes: 1 – The thick jungle of Burma is hardly shown while the studio substitutes for ‘Punjab’. d. Masala factor: 2 – War clichés 1 and 3 strike and these add to the high level of melodrama throughout the film and are the reason for the title. e. Goof-ups: 2 – While the training is shown fairly well, the war scenes are shoddy with stock clips edited indiscriminately because of which the on- screen tanks keep changing from a Sherman to a Churchill and then a Grant, all of which were used by the Indian Army at various times during WW2. Conventional Wars and India: 1960 – Usne Kaha Tha 43 f. Role of women: 3 – In this case, the whole story unfolds because of three women in Nandu’s life, each of whom contributes ultimately to him becoming “something” from being a wastrel. Nandu’s mother, “sister” Farida, and Kamli are all responsible for him becoming a soldier. Overall while the whining and crying are high, the relation with his “sister” is one of the warmest on-screen depictions of a “bond sister”. g. Music: 5 – If only everyone sang such high-quality songs in real life, perhaps there would be no need for war! Sadly the songs are picturized in a lackluster manner except for the high-energy call and answer song by Rafi and Lata ‘Balkhati sharmati aaja’. The stunning music of Salil Chowdhury consists of one gem after another but is sadly wasted. The most well- known popular numbers are the Talat-Lata duet ‘Aha rimjhim ke ye pyaare pyaare geet liye’ and the Lata solo ‘Machalti aarzoo khadi baahein pasaarey’. The first song is the unknown Rafi-Manna Dey male duet ‘Chalte hi jaana jahan tak aaj ye raat chaley’ set to a clip-clop ‘ghoda ghaadi’ beat. ‘Jaane wale sipahi se poocho’ sung by Manna Dey and Lata plays in the background when all soldiers take leave of their family at Ambala Cantt[70].

Final rating: 2.8 out of 5 44 Lights Camera War! 1961 – HUM DONO

➢➢ Producer: Dev Anand. Director: Amar Jeet. Screenplay, Dialogue: Vijay Anand. Story: Nirmal Sircar. Photography: V. Ratra. Lyrics: Sahir. Music Jaidev. War Scenes: Written and supervised by Colonel Montgomery Kee ➢➢ War Covered: World War 2, Burma Front. Language: Hindi ➢➢ Why you should see it: Dev Anand in a double role in one of the finest mainstream anti-war films ➢➢ Plot: Unemployed Anand (Dev Anand) has a rich girlfriend Mita (Sadhana), whose father (Gajanan Jagirdar) insults him for being poor and unemployed because of which Anand decides to join the Army. His mother (Leela Chitnis) is upset and refuses to see him when he goes away to join the Army. Mita comes to Anand’s home and wins over his mother after some initial misunderstanding. They decide to wait out the war together and await Anand’s return. At the war front, Anand is stunned to see a double Major Varma (Dev Anand) who has a mustache and from the same town, married to a god- fearing, devoted woman Ruma (Nanda), and has a kind and loving mother (Lalita Pawar). After being initially mistaken for Varma, Anand and Varma forge a brotherly bond. Varma entrusts the holding of a key position to Anand, who soon finds himself in the middle of a pitched battle against the Japanese. Since communication has been cut off, Varma rides to the location to ensure Anand’s retreat but is wounded badly. He orders Anand and his soldiers to retreat while covering them and is presumed dead. On leave and back in his hometown, a newly promoted Major Anand comes back to confront the dilemma of telling Varma’s family that Varma is actually dead but they mistake him for Varma… ◙ Hum Dono has become an all-time classic for various reasons but primarily for its stunning soundtrack and the iconic theme music played on the glockenspiel by the late ace multi-instrumentalist, Kersi Lord[71]. Music Director Jaidev, who had been assistant to S.D. Burman and a Navketan camp follower, rose to the occasion and delivered a hit soundtrack that has become an all-time classic loved even today by both the masses and the classes. It would be wiser to dispense with the music first and then go to the military section. Conventional Wars and India: 1961 – Hum Dono 45

The film starts with the classic Rafi-Asha duet ‘Abhi na jaao chhodkar’. The wistful Rafi solo ‘Kabhi khud pe kabhi haalath pe’ provides the contrast to the earlier carefree Rafi solo ‘Mai zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya’, a tribute to living the moment, one of the reasons it is still valid and even popular with the 21st century generation. ‘Allah tero naam Ishwar tero naam’ ranks among one of the finest and perhaps greatest Hindi film bhajans sung by Lata and littered with anti-war sentiment by poet-lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi. Asha’s stunning solo rendered in a whisper is ‘Jahan me aisa kaun hai jisko gham mila nahi’. Another Lata solo, ‘Prabhu tero naam’ is often overlooked in favor of the more famous ‘Allah tero naam’ but is an equally divine number. None of these songs come as fillers and are neatly integrated into the soundtrack as they forward the story. It is better to stick to the classic Black and White version than see the colorized version that was re-released with a stereophonic soundtrack. Some things shouldn’t be messed with and the colorized version, available on YouTube and DVD, leaves much to be desired. The film can be broadly divided into three sections. Pre-War, War, and Post-War/effects of war. In the first (pre-war) section, Anand is shown going about his life happily, till he is challenged by Mita’s father to find a job, resulting in his volunteering in the Army, “to be a man”. Anand is from a middle-class background, educated, and unemployed, thus breaking the “martial race” theory which was the British base for recruitment. Major Varma is also from a regular Indian family. In both cases, it is not explained what they had studied or what their backgrounds are. A subtle point is scored here – normal middle-class people join the Army. In the case of Major Varma, he seems to be relatively well off with a big bungalow while Anand is from a more modest/“poor” background. The year is not specified, though one can safely assume that it is January to May 1944, because of the Japanese offensive shown later and Varma being in “enemy captivity”. This is perhaps one of the handful of war films that shows Indians fighting on the British side in the Indian Army during WW2. There are no political statements and it’s clear that the soldiers involved in these actions are professionals doing a job and that’s how it’s shown. Judging by Varma’s colleagues, his contemporaries are from ordinary backgrounds. The war scene shows Anand and his platoon laying a successful ambush and delaying the attacking Japanese force. The Japanese try to outflank them 46 Lights Camera War! but Anand and his soldiers defeat that attack too. Finally, the Japanese do a banzai charge which is also defeated. When information is received that the Japanese numbers are too overwhelming for them to hold the position, Anand is ordered to retreat while the wounded Varma covers him with a Bren LMG (and is presumed dead). Sound tactics are practiced here and shown as such. The reason for anyone joining up is not clearly specified but Major Varma launches into a long rambling almost self-pitying alcoholic monologue where he questions the motivations. This is a timeless comment about motivations for joining the military and the dialogue is worth repeating here: Is it “Peth ki aag (Hunger)? Desh ka pyaar (Patriotism)? Shohrat ki bhookh (hunger for fame)? Or Insaaniyat jo haiwaaniyat ke khilaaf jaag uthi hai? (humanity that rises against inhumanity)”. Such questions, (by Major Varma), are largely absent in later “war” films where the emphasis is on screaming dialogues denoting “patriotism”. Family tradition is not mentioned here, as the “Martial Race” theory of British recruitment meant entire generations joined the Army. The film leaves such questions and their answers to our imagination. Vijay Anand’s writing (and rumored to be the ghost director of the film)[72], highlights almost all the reasons why an otherwise normal person would want to join the Armed Forces and put oneself in danger. The “middle segment” where Anand has joined the Army, starting with the classic ‘Mai zindagi ka’ and ending with the sublime ‘Allah tero naam’, is a good forty-five minutes long and it is in this section that Anand meets his double and forges a brotherly bond. While Varma regales him with tales of his home and reads letters from his loving wife Ruma, in sharp contrast, Anand doesn’t seem to have received a single letter from home and neither has he written back – perhaps the only flaw in an otherwise flawless script. There is also a comment in the letter by Ruma, “I am praying for everyone including you, as you are an atheist.” Such sentiments are extremely rare in later films as most soldiers are shown as religious if not spiritual! The third section shows the after-effects of war and in that sense, the film was way ahead of its time. Rarely do we see in Indian films, a soldier’s family life after he has come back from war. The war-scarred Anand no doubt is mistaken for Varma and he remembers his own mother and the flood of emotions finally overwhelm him. He is also troubled as to how he can break the news of Varma’s death to the family. This section is also the Conventional Wars and India: 1961 – Hum Dono 47 most melodramatic segment that takes away from the subtlety of the first two sections but it can be argued, how else do we expect the family, of someone rumored to be dead, to behave. Performances are excellent and everyone is in great form. Dev Anand, minus his mannerisms, is excellent as the troubled Captain Anand whose inner demons get to him in the third half of the film. When he describes the battlefield to Ruma, with body parts strewn around and screams of dying soldiers, and how that has changed him forever, we can’t help but think that war may look glamorous from the outside but it does destroy humans from the inside. The war has turned the somewhat carefree Anand into a sober mature individual, who values life. As Major Varma, Dev Anand is a bit over-the-top but then so is the character which Dev Anand based on a Major he met in his earlier days at Khadki[73]. His considerable star power makes Varma real, with a never-say-die spirit embodied in the line below (delivered with style by Dev Anand); when a man asks him about giving a ride as he is lame, Varma famously replies “Ek taang to hai[74]” (I still have one leg). Sadhana as Mita, the girl who doesn’t think twice about leaving her rich home, and Nanda as the faithful Ruma are both stunningly beautiful and mature in their performances. Even Lalita Pawar shows her “maternal” side as compared to her typecast “evil mother-in- law” roles that she was infamous for. The bit players are all the usual “Navketan camp” followers. As an entertainer, it has always been seen as a classic but it also can be seen as a classic war film (and even an anti-war film just for Varma’s monologue to Anand, and Anand’s monologue to Ruma in the third section) as its three broad sections correspond to the experience of war – turning the somewhat naïve happy go lucky Anand into a “Man” (didn’t the recruitment poster exhort “be a Man, join the Army”) and finally a “Human” who takes care of his friend’s family. The film also has a human-interest story. Weekly Magazine The Week had a cover article about how 15 youngsters were inspired to join the Army after watching the film. The extract of that article is available on Facebook at the below link https://hi-in.facebook.com/notes/service-selection-board/a-picture-that- moved/339312656109253/ The film was remade in Bengali as Uttarayan (1963) starring Uttam Kumar. 48 Lights Camera War! a. The real history behind the movie: 4 – The Japanese were at the gates of India in April 1944 with their U-Go offensive, whose ambitious objective was the capture of the railhead of Dimapur (in current-day Nagaland), paving the way to the plains of Assam. It was the last railhead from where troops and supplies went onwards to the Burma Front. In an ill-timed offensive, the Japanese miscalculated the strength and will of the Allies to resist. More importantly, the Allies were now well supplied and well trained, while the Japanese supplies situation was exactly the opposite. The British and their Allied forces in Imphal and Kohima held out against the strong Japanese attacks, being supplied by air while the Japanese were living off the land and finally their lack of supplies resulted in a bitter defeat and retreat. The action in the film could be anywhere in this sector and looks real enough. b. Equipment and kit: 5 – The Indian Army of 1961 was still equipped with World War 2 kit. The arms are of World War 2 vintage with Bren LMGs and 0.303 Enfield rifles. Flare pistols. Some of the communication equipment look and feel of World War 2 vintage. c. Locales or substitutes: 4 – The locales look suitable enough but not the harsh impenetrable jungle of the Burma front. d. Masala factor: 3 – Though set against the backdrop of World War 2, the war section in the middle of the film gives a grim perspective. The ‘masala’ is high in the third section where Anand returns to the Varma household to give news that Major Varma is dead but is mistaken for him and the melodrama quotient increases with Ruma continuously pleading and crying. Otherwise, the first two sections are excellent. e. Goof-ups: 5 – Anand has a shoulder patch, 16th Punjab, a regiment which actually served on the Burma Front (and later went to Pakistan). Major Varma’s divisional patch the “Ball of Fire” 5th Indian Division, actually fought on the Burma front from 1943-45. These increase the authenticity of the film. These patches, the kit, the weapons mean that there are no goof-ups! f. Role of women: 5 – All the female characters are strong in their own way, even though well within the confines of Indian society of those times and Hindi cinema. Mita decides to wait with Anand’s mother while Ruma, even though a heart patient and struck with bouts of melancholy, still remains strong in her faith that her husband will come back. Anand’s mother, Varma’s mother (in a letter), and random characters all curse the Conventional Wars and India: 1961 – Hum Dono 49

war. Anand’s mother says. “Ye jung barbadi laayegi (this war will bring destruction),” probably a timeless statement as every war brings nothing but destruction (physical, mental, moral, or otherwise) g. Music: 5 – As already explained it’s a winner of a soundtrack and the songs are exceptionally well integrated into the film. h. Special Moment:5 – Dev Anand bare-chested! And then in a half shirt!

Final rating: 4.5 out of 5