Looking back: When Manoj Kumar’s Purab Aur Paschim set the template for Bollywood
Manoj Kumar’s ambitious film “Purab Aur Paschim” set the template for Bollywood’s East vs West showdown
Prior to Akshay Kumar’s Namastey London speech, there was Manoj Kumar’s ‘Zero diya mere Bharat ne.’
Blonde -haired ..
Saira Banu in the 1970 released hit film Purab Aur Paschim, blonde-haired Preeti mocks Indian values, but Manoj Kumar’s Bharat is ever-ready with patriotic lessons through songs and soliloquies. which was also a Manoj Kumar’s
delivered a patriotic message of preserving Indian values. And heavy-handed though it might seem today, it resonated deeply with viewers across the nation and became the fourth-highest-grossing film of 1970.
The hero Bharat, an idealist, travels from India to London for higher studies, only to find himself surrounded by luxury, excess, and ‘modern’ vices like smoking, drinking, and shallow relationships. He also encounters a circle of Indians who’ve lost touch with their roots, including Preeti (Saira Banu)—a kimono-wearing, blonde-haired young woman who mocks Indian culture—and the well-heeled Harnam (Pran) who has nothing but contempt for India.
News Edit KV Raman
