Apna Desh is a 1949Hindi social drama film set against the backdrop of Partition and directed by V. Shantaram for his Rajkamal Kalamandir banner. The story was written by Diwan Sharar and Keshavrao Date. Sharar also wrote the screenplay and dialogue along with acting in the film. Music was by S. Purshottam and lyrics were by Diwan Sharar and Mirza Ghalib. The cast included Pushpa Hans, Umesh Sharma, Sudha Apte, Chandrashekhar, Manmohan Krishna, Keshavrao Date, Krishna Goel, Diwan Sharar, Parshuram and Satish Vyas. The film was made a year after Shantaram made Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani, which was not a success at the box office. Apna Desh is the story of revenge by an abducted woman after the rejection she faces when she meets her family. Using the Partition as background, the film's theme focussed on black-marketing.
Plot
Mohini a Hindu Punjabi girl, is living with her family when the Partition riotsbreak out. In the melee while her family escape their home, which now becomes part of Pakistan, and go to India, she is kidnapped and raped by some Muslim rioters. After undergoing several harrowing experiences, Mohini manages to come to India and locate her family. Her family and society is unwilling to accept her in their midst. Determined to get revenge on the society that has boycotted her, she becomes a smuggler and gets into the black-marketing business. She sends ammunition to Pakistan smuggled in crates that have music instruments. Mohini soon becomes involved with another refugee, Satish. When Satish is implicated in the smuggling racket, Mohini admits her role in the business and surrenders to the police.
Shantaram made socially relevant films and in Apna Desh he dealt with the issues of abduction, rape and black-marketing during, and following Partition. The film "predicted" problems like languages, black-marketing and corruption that India would face following the "newly acquired independepence". In a searing indictment of the wrongdoers, the judge calls the black-marketeers "padhe-likhe daku, samaaj ke chor, azaadi ke lootere, desh ke dushman ", labelling them traitors or "desh ke gaddaar". The story caused a backlash of criticism from all the reputed papers and magazines and had to be eventually withdrawn from theatres. Baburao Patel's Filmindia in the 1949 issues had readers writing in to ask for a ban on the film and calling it "Apna Trash". The magazine referred to the fact that the film was passed by the censors due to Shantaram's initiation into the censor board by Morarji Desai, who was the then Home Minister to the Government of Bombay. The magazine also hinted at the story being given the finishing touch by Desai. However, Apna Desh is cited as a film of "exceptional merit" and one of Shantaram's successful films. Shantaram's other two socials completing his trilogy of socially relevant films during this phase were, Surang on quarry workers, and Teen Batti Char Rasta "advocating harmony" among the different states and religions of India. Telugu and Tamil versions of the film were also released, called Nam Naadu.
Soundtrack
Hindi Songs
The film's music composer was S. Purushottam. He had also sung songs for Hindi films like Billi and Meri Bhabhi. The lyrics were by Dewan Sharar and Mirza Ghalib and the background music was scored by Vasant Desai. The singers were Manmohan Krishna, Umesh Sharma, Pushpa Hans and Purushottam.
Tamil Songs
The film's music composer was G. Govindarajulu Naidu and the lyrics were by Rajagopla Iyer. The singers are M. L. Vasanthakumari, S. Rajam and Mayilsamy.
