Mother India

Directed by Mehboob Khan

MOTHER INDIA is a propagandist precursor to modern Bollywood, a musical number-laced, colour-drenched melodrama that relates the story of the long-suffering Radha. Told in flashback, it opens with the elderly woman opening a new dam that will improve the neighbourhood economy. From her early years as a beauty queen through her doomed marriage and years struggling to support her children, Radha perseveres and provides inspiration for all the villagers.

Duration:
175 minutes

Country of origin:
India

Year of production:
1957