( ) is a 1953 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Bimal Roy. Based on Rabindranath Tagore's Bengali poem "Dui Bigha Jomi" and Rickshawalla, a short story written by composer Salil Chowdhury, the film stars Balraj Sahni and Nirupa Roy in lead roles. Known for its socialist theme, Do Bigha Zamin is considered an important film in the early parallel cinema of India, and a trend setter.

Inspired by Italian neo-realistic cinema, Bimal Roy made Do Bigha Zamin after watching Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves (1948). Like most of Bimal Roy's movies, art and commercial cinema merge to create a movie that is still viewed as a benchmark. It has paved the way for future cinema makers in the Indian neo-realist movement and the Indian New Wave, which began in the 1950s.

A moderate commercial success, it was awarded the All India Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film, it became the first film to win the Filmfare Best Movie Award and the first Indian film to win the International Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, after Neecha Nagar (1946), which won the Palme d'Or (Grand Prize). In 2005, Indiatimes Movies ranked the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films. The film was also released in China and in USSR.

The film also marks Meena Kumari's maiden guest appearance in her 33-year-long career. The lullaby, Aa Jaa Ri Aa is picturised on her. His wife, Manobina Roy, recalled her excited husband instructing his unit to come up with a story right after the screening.

Initially Roy had planned to cast Paidi Jairaj, Trilok Kapoor and Nazir Hussain in the lead, then he saw the performance of Balraj Sahni in Hum Log (1951) and decided to cast him. Actress Nirupa Roy had mostly done the role of Hindu goddess in several mythological films till that time. She was cast in the role of Parvati. Roy filmed Parineeta (1953) and at the same time in Kolkata. Hrishikesh Mukherjee was the film's editor and scenario writer. He asked Meena Kumari if she'd do a cameo in the film, on which she agreed after seeing the stills of the film.

  • Winner – Best Film
  • Winner – Best Director – Bimal Roy
  • 1st National Film Awards (India)
  • Winner – All India Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film
  • 7th Cannes Film Festival (1954)
  • Winner – Prix International (International Prize)
  • Nominated – Grand Prize (Best Film)
  • Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

{|class="wikitable"

! Song !! Singer

!Raga

|-

| "Aaja Ri Aa, Nindiya Tu Aa"

| Lata Mangeshkar

|

|-

| "Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke"

| Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey

|Bhairavi (Hindustani)

|-

| "Hariyala Sawan Dhol Bajata Aaya"

| Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey

|

|-

| "Ajab Tori Duniya Ho Mere Raja"

| Mohammed Rafi

|

|-

|}

References

Explanatory notes

Citations

  • upperstall.com review (archived 10 May 2006)
  • Review Essay in Visual Anthropology