Cinema During Freedom Struggle

Big screens with moving images can capture the attention of the audience in a way that other forms of media usually cannot. They perfectly convey the essence of a specific incident or tale. In addition to this, they foster a sense of unity and belongingness and recount our shared history. Films like Rang De Basanti, Mangal Pandey, Border, and many others make it difficult to dissociate oneself from their history. If films about India's freedom struggle are this compelling, how about the movie industry that was developing during the time of the struggle itself? What was its nature? In what ways did it help Indians gain their freedom?

Do Guna Lagaan, Image source:  ThePrint

Since a long time ago, Indian silver screens have been able to keep their audiences engaged. Aside from providing entertainment, motion pictures on large screens generated discussion and raised awareness of the social, political, and peculiarities of a time that their audience could identify with. In addition to this, historical narratives in the film are captured both literally and figuratively to support their complexity. The cinema during India's independence has a significant place in history, not only as a witness to the events that followed but also as a spark that started a wave of nationalism throughout the entire nation. Along with reflecting the social structure of the time, the big curtain of the movie was able to expose the true nature and intentions of colonialism. It spread the notion of independence, the necessity of social reforms, and the unwavering desire for freedom.

Following India's independence, films like Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, which was nominated for an Oscar, successfully captured the essence of colonialism in a variety of ways. They highlight the dichotomy of Indian society during the freedom struggle, the unfair tax collection methods and policies, and an overall perception of inferiority among Indians when viewed through the prism of colonial standards. The theme of Lagaan, which is set in the nineteenth century, is the strength of unity in the face of oppression. Its climax can still evoke nostalgia with a fierce spirit and excitement with a dash of anxiety.

Similar to this, during the time of the freedom struggle, cinema served as a silent fuel to keep the concept of swaraj, or self-rule, alive. It is important to remember that the relationship involved encompasses both. The ongoing Indian National Movement provided the cinema with certain fodder, turning the real world into a film. In exchange, it continued to support the idea of liberation from imperialistic ideology. In terms of socially significant cinema, the years between 1930 and 1947 were particularly rich.

For example, Franz Osten's Achhut Kanya (1936) depicted social evils like untouchability that had taken on an even worse form during the colonial era. When Achhut was first unveiled, Sardar Vallabhbhai said, "If the picture helps India to remove this curse, it can be said that it helped India to win Swaraj, as untouchability is one of the major barriers in the way to freedom."

Additionally, the Khwaja Ahmed Abbas-directed film Dharti Ke Lal was inspired by the 1943 Bengal famine, which claimed millions of lives. It was possibly the first time the social realist movement was portrayed in Indian cinema. The movie depicted the struggles faced by rural Indians, which were made worse by famines. Additionally, it demonstrated the effects of World War II on the social and economic spheres of life.

Padosi (1941), directed by V. Shantaram, carried on the tradition of making films with a variety of themes by attempting to foster intercommunal harmony at a time when political elites like the Muslim League were calling for a separate nation and the populace was gripped by radical religious fervour. K.A. Abbas, director of Dharti le lal, noted, "Padosi was the first picture ever made on national integration, though it was a simple tale of friendship and the estrangement of two friends and neighbours."

Additionally, the creation of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) in 1943 must be mentioned when analysing the nature of cinema during India's freedom struggle. It was a theatre group that steadfastly promoted films to uphold the principles of India's independence. Since its inception, more films with themes related to India's struggle have been released on the silver screen. The theatres continued to roll their reels until 1947 to awaken their patrons.

Even in the early years following independence from British rule, filmmakers and artists continued to make films with patriotic themes while also focusing on the struggle India had to go through to achieve its freedom. The stories and narratives surrounding India's nationalistic phase of the struggle still succeed in fostering a sense of belonging and unity, even after 75 years of independence. This vividly reflects the fact that the nuances of society can be driven and regulated by cinema in several different ways.