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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Badi Maa
| image = Badi_Maa_(1945).jpg
| caption =
| director = [[Master Vinayak]]
| producer = Prafulla Pictures, Kanpur
| writer = V. S. Khendekar [[Zia Sarhadi]] Screenplay
| narrator =
| starring = [[Noor Jehan]] Ishwarlal [[Sitara Devi]] [[Yakub (actor)|Yakub]]
| music = K. Dutta
| cinematography = Madhav Bulbule
| editing =
| distributor = Manzoor Productions
| released = 1945
| runtime = 122 min
| country = [[India]]
| language = [[Hindi language|Hindi]]
| budget =
| gross =
}}

'''''Badi Maa ''''' (Elder Mother), also called '''''Bari-Ma''''', is a [[Bollywood]] social war drama [[film]]. Released in [[Bollywood films of 1945|1945]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gomolo.com/badi-maa-movie/1278|title=Badi Maa|publisher=Gomolo.com|access-date=25 April 2022}}</ref><ref name="RajadhyakshaWillemen1999">{{cite book|last1=Rajadhyaksha|first1=Ashish|last2=Willemen|first2=Paul|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofi0000raja|url-access=registration|access-date=25 April 2013|year=1999|publisher=British Film Institute}}</ref> it was produced and directed by [[Master Vinayak]]. Made under the banner of Prafulla Pictures, Kolhapur, it had story written by V. S. Khendekar.<ref name=PIM>{{cite journal|title=Pictures In Making|journal=Filmindia|date=January 1945|volume=11|issue=1|pages=43|ref=Profulla Pictures (Kolhapur)}}</ref> [[Zia Sarhadi]] wrote the screenplay and lyrics for six songs.<ref name="Raj2009">{{cite book|last=Raj|first=Ashok|title=Hero Vol.1|date=1 November 2009|publisher=Hay House, Inc|isbn=978-93-81398-02-9|pages=131|chapter=Zia Sarhadi|oclc=968087110|access-date=4 January 2016|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tgo9BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT131}}</ref> The other lyricists were Anjum Pilibhiti and [[Raja Badhe]]. The music director was K. Datta (Datta Koregaonkar).<ref name=Geetmala>{{cite web|title=Badi Maa (1945)|url=http://www.hindigeetmala.net/movie/badi_maa_1945.htm|website=hindigeetmala.net|publisher=Hindi Geetmala|access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>

The film starred [[Noor Jehan]], Ishwarlal, [[Yakub (actor)|Yakub]], [[Sitara Devi]], Meenaxi, Baby Alka, Damuanna Malvankar, [[Leela Mishra]] and Girish.<ref name="citwf">{{Cite web|date=2014-04-22|title=Badi Maa : Lyrics and video of Songs from the Movie Badi Maa (1945)|url=http://www.citwf.com/film27066.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422111837/http://www.hindigeetmala.net/movie/badi_maa_1945.htm|archive-date=April 22, 2014|access-date=2021-07-06|website=www.citwf.com}}</ref> It had playback singer [[Lata Mangeshkar]] in one of her rare early acting roles, performing alongside Noor Jehan.<ref name="Dharker2011">{{cite book|last=Dharker|first=Anil|title=Icons|date=6 April 2011|publisher=Roli Books Private Limited|isbn=978-81-7436-944-4|pages=120–|chapter=Lata Mangeshkar by Jerry Pinto|oclc=939522651|access-date=4 January 2016|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sNFbBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT120}}</ref> Besides Mangeshkar, the film also had singer [[Asha Bhosle]] in a minor role with the other two singers.

Made at the end of WWII, the film factors the Japanese involvement, with Yakub and Sitara Devi acting as spies for Japan. The lead pair, Ishwarlal and Noor Jehan take them on, emerging victorious.

==Plot==
Set against the backdrop of WW II, it has the hero Dinesh, played by Ishwarlal, stuck in London during the [[The Blitz|Blitz]]. Dinesh's father Durgadas (D. S. Salvi) lives in a village (Dinapur) in India, with his daughter Usha (Meenaxi). Durgadas owes money to Ghanshyam (Girish), a money-lender with two children. Ghanshyam's son Rajinder ([[Yakub (actor)|Yakub]]), is a spy for the Japanese and is helped by a dancer called Mona ([[Sitara Devi]]). His daughter Hema ([[Noor Jehan]]) is a compassionate, patriotic girl unaware of her brother's plans and is in love with Dinesh.

Ghanshyam offers to free Durgadas of his debt if he will agree to his daughter's marriage to Rajinder. When Durgadas refuses, Ghanshyam has his property confiscated. Dinesh returns to India and is shocked to find his father in penury and an attack on his village by the Japanese. He takes up arms to fight and is joined by Hema. His sister Usha dies under enemy firing, and a repentant Rajinder fights the enemy dying in the bargain. Hema and Dinesh survive the war having fought for Badi Maa (India), and get together.

==Cast==
* [[Noor Jehan]] as Hema
* [[Ishwarlal (actor)|Ishwarlal]] as Dinesh
* [[Yakub (actor)|Yakub]] as Rajinder
* [[Sitara Devi|Sitara]] as Mona, Rajinder's partner in spying
* Meenaxi as Usha, Dinesh's sister
* D. S. Salvi as Durgadas, Dinesh's father
* Girish as Ghanshyam, Hema and Rajinder's father
* [[Lata Mangeshkar]]
* [[Asha Bhosle]] in a minor role
* Baby Alka

==Review==
[[Filmindia]], with its newly formed rating system of one to five stars with one being Rotten, Avoid and five being Excellent, Don't miss, gave the film a one star rating. In its September 1945 issue, it panned the film terming it a "propaganda social" and claiming the film to be "the year's most rotten show".<ref name=Filmindia>{{cite journal|last1=Patel|first1=Baburao|title=Refresh Your Memory|date=December 1945|volume=11|issue=12|pages=71|url=https://archive.org/stream/filmindia194511unse#page/70/mode/2up/search/Badi+Ma|access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>

Though the film came in for criticism for being a propaganda film, made "under the constant goading of the Information Department",<ref name=BombayCalling>{{cite journal|title=Bombay Calling|journal=Filmindia|date=November 1945|volume=11|issue=11|pages=17|url=https://archive.org/stream/filmindia194511unse#page/n233/mode/2up/search/Badi+Ma|access-date=4 January 2016|ref=Let Government Pay}}</ref> it was a commercial success at the box-office, becoming the third highest grossing Indian film of that year.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top Earners 1945|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=150&catName=MTk0NQ==|website=Box Office India|access-date=26 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016215819/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=150&catName=MTk0NQ==|archive-date=16 October 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
The music was composed by K. Datta with the songs written by three lyricists. Zia Sarhadi wrote the lyrics for six of the ten songs in the film, Anjum Pilibhiti three songs, and [[Raja Badhe]] one song. The singers were [[Noor Jehan]], Baby Alka, [[Lata Mangeshkar]] and Ishwarlal.<ref name=Muvyz>{{cite web|title=Badi Maa (1945)|url=http://muvyz.com/moviepage/gn428417/songs/#tabs|website=muvyz.com|publisher=Muvyz, Ltd|access-date=4 January 2016|ref=Songs}}</ref>

===Song List===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! # !! Title !! Singer !! Lyricist
|-
| 1
| "Aa Intezar Hai Tera Dil Beqarar Hai Mera"
| [[Noor Jehan]]
| [[Zia Sarhadi]]
|-
| 2
| "Aana Kya Hai Ek Bahaana Jaane Ka"
| Meenaxi
| Zia Sarhadi
|-
| 3
| "Chhananan Chhum Chhananan"
| Baby Alka
| [[Raja Badhe]]
|-
| 4
| "Diya Jalakar Aap Bhujaaya"
| Noor Jehan
| Zia Sarhadi
|-
| 5
| "Khil Jao Bagh Ki Kaliyon"
| Baby Alka
| Zia Sarhadi
|-
| 6
| "Kisi Tarah Se Mohabbat Mein Chain Paa Na Sakey"
| Noor Jehan
| Anjum Pilibhiti
|-
| 7
| "Mata Tere Charnon Mein"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]], Ishwarlal
| Zia Sarhadi
|-
| 8
| "Pyara Pyara Mausam Hai Rut Suhani"
| Baby Alka
| Anjum Pilibhiti
|-
| 9
| "Tum Humko Bhulaa Baithe Ho"
| Noor Jehan
| Zia Sarhadi
|-
| 10
| "Tum Ho Maa Badi Maa"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]], Meenaxi
| Anjum Pilibhiti
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=149773|title=Badi Maa}}
* [https://indiancine.ma/EDD/info Badi Maa] on indiancine.ma

[[Category:1945 films]]
[[Category:1940s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Indian war drama films]]
[[Category:1940s war drama films]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]
[[Category:1945 drama films]]

Badi Maa - Revision history

Bot at 16:40, 1 July 2022