>PQR01 at 10:45, 3 June 2021

2021-06-03T10:45:24Z

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{{Short description|1940 Hindi Language film}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Achhut
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| director = [[Chandulal Shah]]
| producer =
| writer = Chandulal Shah
| narrator =
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Motilal (actor)|Motilal]]
* [[Gohar Mamajiwala]]
* [[Sitara Devi]]
* [[Noor Mohammed Charlie]]
}}
| music = [[Gyan Dutt]]
| cinematography = Krishna Gopal
| editing =
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|1940|4|5|df=yes}}
| runtime = 140 minutes
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget =
| gross =
}}

'''''Achhut ''''' (''The Untouchable'')<ref>{{cite web|title=Achhut (The Untouchable)|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=77E-AAAAIBAJ&pg=1517%2C7863194|newspaper=The Indian Express|page=3|date=6 April 1940}}</ref> is a [[Bollywood films of 1940|1940]] social Indian [[Bollywood]] film based on untouchability.<ref name="Pauwels2007">{{cite book|author=Heidi R.M. Pauwels|title=Indian Literature and Popular Cinema: Recasting Classics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OAI0scTDAjIC&pg=PA209|year=2007|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-06255-3|page=209}}</ref> It was the third highest grossing Indian film of 1940.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top Earners 1940|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=145&catName=MTk0MA==|publisher=Box Office India|accessdate=26 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110121000555/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=145&catName=MTk0MA==|archive-date=21 January 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film was produced by Chandulal Shah for his Ranjit Studios. He also wrote the story and screenplay, and directed it. ''Achhut'''s premiere was attended by [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel]] on 23 December 1939, who stated: "If the picture helps India to remove this curse, it can be said to have helped India to win Swaraj as untouchability is one of the chief obstacles in the road to freedom".<ref name="Congress2007">{{cite book|author=Indian History Congress|title=Proceedings - Indian History Congress|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GhVDAAAAYAAJ|volume=66|year=2007|page=943}}</ref>

The film had Motilal and Gohar in the main lead with, [[Sitara Devi]], [[Mazhar Khan (actor, born 1905)|Mazhar Khan]], [[Noor Mohammed Charlie]], Vasanti and Rajkumari playing important roles. The music was by [[Gyan Dutt]], with lyrics by Raghunath Brahmabhatt. The cinematography was by Krishna Gopal.<ref name=ReviewFilmindia>{{cite journal|last1=Baburao|first1=Patel|title=Review-Achhut (The Untouchable)|journal=Filmindia|date=January 1940|volume=6|issue=1|pages=48|url=https://archive.org/stream/filmindia194006unse#page/n53/mode/2up/search/Achhut|ref=Round The Town}}</ref>

The film was made to "promote Gandhi's movement against untouchability".<ref name="StantonRamsamy2012">{{cite book|author1=Andrea L. Stanton|author2=Edward Ramsamy|author3=Peter J. Seybolt|author4=Carolyn M. Elliott|title=Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa: An Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nVN2AwAAQBAJ&pg=RA3-PA311|year=2012|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-1-4522-6662-6|page=3}}</ref><ref name="IndianCinema">{{cite book|title=Indian cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9uJkAAAAMAAJ|year=1998|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India|isbn=978-81-230-0646-8|page=80}}</ref> The film was initially released in the [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] version on 23 December 1939.<ref name=ReviewFilmindia/>

==Plot==
When Lakshmi ([[Gohar Mamajiwala]]), the daughter of a [[Harijan (outcaste)|Harijan]], fetches water from a temple an infuriated Pujari (priest) breaks the pot on her head. This incident, plus several other injustices that he has faced, forces the father to adopt Christianity into which he brings Lakshmi. The mother refuses to become one and remains a Hindu along with her other child. A rich businessman, Seth Haridas, adopts Lakshmi and she becomes a friend to his daughter, Savitri. Lakshmi gets a good education and the two girls grow up to fall in love with the same man, Madhukar. As Madhukar comes from a high caste family, the Seth, in order to get his daughter married to him informs Madhukar's family of Lakshmi's background. Lakshmi returns to her mother in the village, where she meets Ramu ([[Motilal (actor)|Motilal]]), the boy to whom she had been wed as a child. The two get together and rebel against the atrocities against the untouchables (Harijans). The message finally gets through and they are allowed to enter the temple.

==Cast==
* [[Gohar Mamajiwala]] as Lakshmi
* [[Motilal (actor)|Motilal]]
* [[Sitara Devi]]
* Vasanti
* [[Noor Mohammed Charlie]]
* [[Mazhar Khan (actor, born 1905)|Mazhar Khan]]
* [[Rajkumari Dubey|Rajkumari]]
* [[Trilok Kapoor]]
* [[Dixit (actor)|Dixit]]
* Ebrahim
* [[Yakub (actor)|Lala Yaqoob]]
* Bhupatrai

==Review==
[[Baburao Patel]], editor ''Filmindia'', in his review in the January 1940 issue, having seen the Gujarati version stated "The realistic atmosphere, the folklore songs and dances, faithful portrayal of characters, all contribute to make the picture a beautiful poem of instructive screen entertainment". There was praise for the actors, with Gohar giving a'dynamic performance', and Motilal was perfectly cast with his "wonderful restraint of emotions". Sitara Devi, Charlie and Vasanti were also commended for their acting.<ref name=ReviewFilmindia/> The reviewer for ''[[The Indian Express]]'' felt the film was of "all-round excellence and tremendous propaganda value". Gohar's performance was commended with the reviewer calling her the "Queen of Emotions". He further added, "Naturally the subject matter gives ample scope for Gohar's versatility of histrionic gifts and she delights the audience with a wide range of human emotions, from the ecstasy of romance to the poignancy of tragedy." He felt the songs provided a "varied fare", Sitara's folk dance "exceptionally well rendered", "[t]he fire and storm scenes ... realistic" and the "photographic sequences ... delightful".<ref>{{cite web|title=Gohar Re-Establishes Her Superiority|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=77E-AAAAIBAJ&pg=1376%2C7858165|newspaper=The Indian Express|page=3|date=6 April 1940}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
The music direction was by Gyan Dutt and the singers were Gohar, Vasanti, Sitara Devi, Popatlal, Kesari, and Khursheed.<ref name=Muvyz>{{cite web|title=Achhut|url=http://muvyz.com/moviepage/td625170/songs/#tabs|website=muvyz.com|publisher=Muvyz Ltd.|accessdate=22 July 2015}}</ref>

===Songlist===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! # !! Title !!Singer
|-
| 1
| "Ae Ri Saasu Puchhe Nanand Se"
| Kesari, Popatlal
|-
| 2
| "Bansi Banoon Bansidhar Ki"
| Vasanti, Kantilal, [[Sitara Devi]]
|-
| 3
| "Din Dukhiya Ko Daan Diya"
| Vasanti, Gyan Dutt
|-
| 4
| "Door Hato Ji Door Hato Ji"
| Gohar
|-
| 5
| "Koi Bajao Na Prem Ki Veena"
| Khursheed
|-
| 6
| "Nahin Bolun Nahin Bolun Lakh Manaye Krishna Kanhaiya"
| Gohar, Gyan Dutt
|-
| 7
| "Raghupati Raja Raghav Ram"
| Gohar, Vasanti
|-
| 8
| "Re Panchhi Samay Ko Pehchan Lena Tu"
| Gohar
|-
| 9
| "Soja Soja Ri Kahe Tore Bairan Nindiya"
| Gohar, Vasanti
|-
| 10
| "Suno Suno Mere Bhagwan"
| Vasanti
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0275893|title=Achhut }}

[[Category:1940 films]]
[[Category:1940s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Gyan Dutt]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]

Achhut - Revision history

>PQR01 at 10:45, 3 June 2021