Dharmputra, the 1961 film was the first Hindi film to show Partition, but it almost caused riots due to its realism
August 15, 1947 was the date when India gained independence from the British Raj. It was a momentous occasion and a day of great joy for millions of Indians. But the day also marked the black day of Partition, as British India was split into India and Pakistan. Millions were displaced, thousands lost their lives in the violence that followed. Over the years, many films have attempted to capture that dark phase on celluloid. But the first time it happened, the film itself caused riots.
1. The first film to depict Partition in Bollywood
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Till the 1960s, Bollywood stayed away from talking about Partition till a young Yash Chopra changed it with his path-breaking social drama Dharmputra
2. What was Dharmputra about?
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Based on a novel by Acharya Chatursen, Dharmputra followed a young radicalised Islamophobic man who realised he is Muslim by birth. The film starred Shashi Kapoor in the lead role along with Mala Sinha and Rehman in pivotal roles
3. Why Dharmputra caused riots
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Dharmputra was the first Hindi film that showed a realistic depiction of the Partition. The reconstruction of sloganeering and riots on the screen led to ugly scenes inside many theatres, with reports of riot-like situations in many places
4. How violence led to Dharmputra failing at box office
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Many theatres removed the film or cancelled shows after brawls erupted, which turned away audiences and the film’s box office prospects suffered. The film won the award for the Best Hidi Feature Film at the 9th National Film Awards but by then it had flopped
5. How Dharmputra shattered Yash Chopra
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It is said that Yash Chopra was so affected by the film’s reception that he did not make another political film again and stuck to romances and family dramas. It wasn’t until his 2004 release Veer-Zaara that he ventured anywhere near politics
6. When Yash Raj Films revisited Dharmputra’s premise
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Last September, YRF – the company founded by Yash Chopra – released The Great Indian Family starring Vicky Kaushal. The Vijay Krishna Acharya film is a light-hearted take on the same issue that Dharmputra raised, wherein a man raised by a Hindu family discovers he is a Muslim
