Neecha Nagar
1946 film by Chetan Anand
- 29 September 1946 (1946-09-29)
Running time
Neecha Nagar (transl. Lowly City) is a 1946 Indian Hindi-language film, directed by Chetan Anand, written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Hayatullah Ansari, and produced by Rashid Anwar and A. Halim. It was a pioneering effort in social realism in Indian cinema and paved the way for many such parallel cinema films by other directors, many of them also written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. It starred Chetan Anand's wife Uma Anand, with Rafiq Anwar, Kamini Kaushal, Murad, Rafi Peer, Hamid Butt, and Zohra Sehgal. Neecha Nagar (Lowly City) was a Hindi film adaptation in an Indian setting of Russian writer Maxim Gorky's 1902 play The Lower Depths.
Neecha Nagar became the first Indian film to gain recognition at the Cannes Film Festival, after it shared the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film (Best Film) award at the first Cannes Film Festival in 1946 with eleven of the eighteen entered feature films.[2] It is the only Indian film to be ever awarded a Palme d'Or.[3] Ironically, the film was never released in India.[4]
Overview
It was based on a Hindi story, Neecha Nagar, written by Hayatullah Ansari, which in turn was inspired by Gorky's The Lower Depths. It took an expressionist look at the gulf between the rich and poor in society.[5][6]
Neecha Nagar was the debut film of actress Kamini Kaushal and for Ravi Shankar as a music director.
Cast
- Rafiq Anwar as Balraj
- Uma Anand as Maya
- Kamini Kaushal as Rupa
- Murad as Hakim Yaqub Khan Sahab
- Rafi Peer as Sarkar
- S.P. Bhatia as Sagar
- Hamid Butt as Yaqoob Chacha
- Mohan Saigal as Raza
- Zohra Sehgal as Bhabi
- B. M. Vyas as Balraj's brother
Soundtrack
The music of the film was composed by Ravi Shankar with lyrics by Mammohan Anand and Vishwamitra Adil.
- "Utho Ke Hame Waqt Ki Gardish" - chorus
- "Kab Tak Gahri Raat Rahegi" - Lakshmi Shankar
- "Birha Ki Aag" - Geeta Dutt
- "Dil Mein Samaake" - N/A
- "Ek Nirali Jyot Bujhi Hai" - N/A
- "Haiya Ho Haiya" - N/A
- "Hum Rukenge Bhi Nahi" - N/A
- "So Na O Nanhi" - Lakshmi Shankar
Awards
Citations
- ^ "Celebrating Zohra Segal". Google.com. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ Grand Prix du Festival International du Film (1939–54)
- ^ "Revisiting Neecha Nagar, The Only Indian Film to Win Palme D'Or at Cannes". The Quint. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Everything You Need to Know About Neecha Nagar - 1st Indian Movie to Make It to Cannes in 1946". India Times. 17 May 2016.
- ^ History will never forget Chetan Anand Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine 13 June 2007.
- ^ Maker of innovative, meaningful movies The Hindu, 15 June 2007.
References
- Neecha Nagar at the New York Times
- Remembering Chetan Anand and Neecha Nagar, Hindustan Times, 29 September 2007
External links
- Neecha Nagar at IMDb
- Neecha Nagar on YouTube
- v
- t
- e
- Dharti Ke Lal (1946)
- Aaj Aur Kal (1947)
- Rahi (1952)
- Anhonee (1952)
- Munna (1954)
- Pardesi (Journey Beyond Three Seas) (1957)
- Char Dil Char Rahen (1959)
- Gyara Hazar Ladkian (1962)
- Shehar Aur Sapna (1963)
- Hamara Ghar (1964)
- Aasman Mahal (1965)
- Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (1967)
- Saat Hindustani (1969)
- Do Boond Pani (1971)
- Faslah (1974)
- The Naxalites (1980)
- Ek Aadmi (1988)
- Naya Sansar (1941)
- Dharti Ke Lal (1946)
- Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946)
- Neecha Nagar (1946)
- Aaj Aur Kal (1947)
- Awaara (1951)
- Rahi (1952)
- Anhonee (1952)
- Munna (1954)
- Shree 420 (1955)
- Jagte Raho (1956)
- Pardesi (Journey Beyond Three Seas) (1957)
- Char Dil Char Rahen (1959)
- Gyara Hazar Ladkian (1962)
- Shehar Aur Sapna (1964)
- Hamara Ghar (1964)
- Aasman Mahal (1965)
- Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (1967)
- Saat Hindustani (1969)
- Mera Naam Joker (1970)
- Do Boond Pani (1971)
- Bobby (1973)
- Achanak (1973)
- The Naxalites (1980)
- Henna (1991)
