Nastik (1954 film)

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{{EngvarB|date=July 2015}}
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{{Infobox film
| name = Nastik
| image = Nastik (1954).jpg
| caption = Song synopsis booklet cover
| director = [[I. S. Johar]]
| producer = [[Sashadhar Mukherjee|S. Mukherjee]]
| writer = Ramma Johar
| screenplay = I. S. Johar
| story = I. S. Johar
| starring = [[Nalini Jaywant]]<br />[[Ajit Khan|Ajit]]<br />Ulhas<br />Raj Mehra
| music = [[C. Ramchandra]]
| cinematography = Dronacharya
| editing = Babu Lavande<br />D. N. Pai (Supervisor)
| studio = [[Filmistan|Filmistan Ltd.]]
| distributor = [[Filmistan|Filmistan Ltd.]]
| released = {{Film date|1954}}
| runtime = 149 minutes
| country = India
| language = Hindi
}}
'''''Nastik''''' ({{translation|The Atheist}}) is a 1954 Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[crime drama film]] written and directed by [[I. S. Johar]].<ref name="Daiya2011">{{cite book|author=Kavita Daiya|title=Violent Belongings: Partition, Gender, and National Culture in Postcolonial India|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P7a-FuiMcTYC&pg=PA154|accessdate=31 July 2015|date=4 February 2011|publisher=Temple University Press|isbn=978-1-59213-744-2|pages=154–|chapter=5-The Early History of National Cinema, Before and After 1947}}</ref> It was produced by [[Filmistan]] Ltd.. Its cinematographer was Dronacharya, and the choreography was by the Indian classical dancer [[Lachhu Maharaj]] and Narendra Sharma. The dialogues were by Mrs. Ramma Johar. [[C. Ramchandra]] composed the music while the lyricist was [[Kavi Pradeep]].<ref name=CastCrew>{{cite web|title=Cast and Crew-Nastik 1954|url=http://www.gomolo.com/nastik-movie-cast-crew/2471|website=gomolo.com|publisher=Gomolo|accessdate=31 July 2015}}</ref> Known for his "patriotic" lyrics, Pradeep's "immortal" song "Dekh Tere Sansar Ki Haalat Kya Ho Gayi Bhagwan" (See What Your World Has Come To, God) sung by him, remains popular.<ref name="GulazāraChatterjee2003">{{cite book|author1=Gulazāra|author2=Saibal Chatterjee|title=Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC&pg=PT306|accessdate=31 July 2015|year=2003|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7991-066-5|pages=306–|chapter=The Playback Era}}</ref> The film starred [[Nalini Jaywant]], [[Ajit Khan|Ajit]], Raj Mehra, Ulhas, Mehmood and Roopmala.<ref name=citwf>{{cite web|title=Nastik|url=http://www.citwf.com/film238873.htm|website=citwf.com|publisher=Alan Goble|accessdate=31 July 2015}}</ref>

The film was dubbed into [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and released in 1962 as '''''Madadhipathi Magal''''' ({{translation|The Abbot's Daughter}}).<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1962-cinedetails31.asp|title=Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru|trans-title=History of Landmark Tamil Films|publisher=Sivakami Publishers|author=Film News Anandan|authorlink=Film News Anandan|date= 23 October 2004|location=Chennai|language=Tamil}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://cinema.dinakaran.com/cine-news-details.aspx?id=4904&id1=16 |title=ஹீரோவானார் டிஎம்எஸ்! |date=22 April 2011 |work=[[Dinakaran]] |access-date=30 March 2018 |language=ta |trans-title=TMS became a hero!}}</ref> Dialogues and lyrics were written by [[Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Kavignar Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam Thirai Isai Padalgal|trans-title=Film lyrics of Poet Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam|author=Kavignar Pon. Sellamuthu |page=191 |publisher=Manivasagar Publishers, Chennai 108 (Ph:044 25361039). Second edition November 2016}}</ref>

Opening with a philosophical verse from [[Kabir]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Nastik - Ajit, Nalini Jaywant, I.S. Johar |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7G6nbVzGyQ |publisher=SEPL Vintage |date=Mar 20, 2014}}</ref> the film is set against the back drop of [[Partition of India|Partition]] with its ensuing riots and violence, and using actual footage of refugees.<ref name="DwyerDwyer2006">{{cite book|author1=Rachel Dwyer|author2=Senior Lecturer in Indian Studies Rachel Dwyer|title=Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZsKR1RKoJKUC&pg=PA139|accessdate=31 July 2015|date=27 September 2006|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-38070-1|pages=139–}}</ref> The story is about a man who loses his faith in God when his parents are killed in the rioting, and his brother and sister die as refugees when the priest refuses to help them. He sets out to avenge his siblings' death.

== Plot ==
Anil ([[Ajit Khan|Ajit]]), sees his parents killed in front of him during the violence of [[Partition of India|partition]] and flees with his sister Kamla (Kamala), and young brother Munna. Having to leave everything behind them in Pakistan, they enter India as refugees and take shelter in a temple. When Munna falls sick, Anil goes to Tulsiram, the [[Mahant]] (priest) (Ulhas) for help. The priest has no time for the poor, and refuses to visit the sick child. An infuriated Anil attacks the priest, who calls the police and has him arrested. His brother dies and Kamala is forced to become a singing girl ([[Tawaif]]) by Vinod Kumar (Raj Mehra) and his henchman ([[Mehmood Ali|Mehmood]]). When Anil comes out of prison he is devastated to find his brother dead and his sister a courtesan. The sister kills herself out of shame. Anil vows vengeance on the priest and Vinod. His belief in God is lost and he becomes an atheist, deriding god and priests. His friend from jail, Joker ([[I. S. Johar]]) is with him. Tulsiram on finding out that Anil has vowed vengeance on him, is on the run with his daughter. He goes on a pilgrimage with Anil and Joker in pursuit. Joker thanks God that at least this way an atheist will also perform a pilgrimage.

Anil meets Rama ([[Nalini Jaywant]]), the priest Tulsiram's daughter when he sees Rani Ma, (Leela Mishra) scolding an untouchable boy for touching her, begging for alms. A priest hits the boy and Anil in turn hits the priest. Rama tends to the boy and Anil finds out she is Tulsiram's daughter. He decides to revenge himself by marrying Rama, an act which would be disagreeable to the priest. With contrived circumstances, he gets Rama who has fallen in love with Anil, to marry him. They spend the night together and are out in the boat with the father after them when they both fall in the water. Rama is saved by her father but finds out later that she's pregnant. She presumes that Anil is dead. A son is born to her and when he falls sick she takes him to a God-man, Babaji, whom everyone believes has healing powers. Babaji is none other than Anil pretending to be a God-man. Once Anil discovers that Rama is alive and his son is ill a change comes over him, and with the recovery of his son his belief is restored.

== Cast ==
* [[Ajit Khan|Ajit]] as Anil Kumar Rampal / Babaji
* [[Nalini Jaywant]] as Rama
* Ulhas as [[Mahant]] Tulsiram / [[Pujari]]
* [[I. S. Johar]] as Joker
* [[Raj Mehra]] as Vinod Kumar Mehra
* Roopmala as Kamla Rampal / Courtesan
* [[Leela Mishra]] as Rani Ma, Vinod’s mother
* Mumtaz Begum as Mataji
* [[Mehmood (actor)|Mehmood]] as Vinod's henchman
* Rajen Haksar

== Review and reception ==
The film was highly successful at the box-office, running for fifty weeks (Golden jubilee) even though the film was banned initially.<ref name=DwyerDwyer2006 /> ''Nastik'' made use of "documentary footage of refugees in overcrowded trains to show the mass exodus of people from both sides of the border". Later Yash Chopra's ''[[Dharmputra]]'' (1960) was to show similar footage.<ref name="Gera(eds)">{{cite book|author1=Roy, Anjali Gera|author2=Bhatia, Nandi (eds)|title=Partitioned Lives: Narratives of Home, Displacement, and Resettlement|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3U8BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA210|accessdate=31 July 2015|isbn=978-93-325-0620-6|pages=210–|chapter=Notes-14|year=2007}}</ref>

Nastik highlighted the anguish of partition, and is stated to be one of the better films on the subject, and is still used as a benchmark in comparison to other films on the [[Partition of India|same topic]].<ref name="Raj2009">{{cite book|author=Ashok Raj|title=Hero Vol.2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2wo9BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT134|accessdate=31 July 2015|date=1 November 2009|publisher=Hay House, Inc|isbn=978-93-81398-03-6|pages=134–}}</ref> The film shows Hindu shrines "spread all over" India, with [[Dwarka]], [[Rameshwar Wadi|Rameshwar]], [[Puri]], [[Varanasi]], and [[Brindavan]] among others.<ref name="Sarkar2009">{{cite book|author=Bhaskar Sarkar|title=Mourning the Nation: Indian Cinema in the Wake of Partition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wghFNlpM3PIC&pg=PA369|accessdate=30 July 2015|date=29 April 2009|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-9221-7|pages=369–}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
The music direction was by [[C. Ramchandra]]. Lyricist [[Kavi Pradeep]], known for his "inspirational verses" wrote the famous "thought-provoking" song "Dekh Tere...Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan".<ref name="VittalBhattacharjee2015">{{cite book|author1=B Vittal|author2=A Bhattacharjee|title=Gaata Rahe Mera Dil: 50 Classic Hindi Film Songs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ChTmCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT235|accessdate=31 July 2015|date=15 June 2015|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers India|isbn=978-93-5136-457-3|pages=235–}}</ref> The playback singers were Pradeep, Lata Mangeshkar, Hemant Kumar and C. Ramchandra. .<ref name=MySwar>{{cite web|title=Nastik (1954)|url=http://myswar.com/album/nastik-1954|website=myswar.com|publisher=MySwar.com|accessdate=31 July 2015}}</ref> Kavi Pradeep’s classic ‘Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan’, which invokes the almighty to look upon his creation and its deeds, remains immortal. Poet Sahir Ludhianvi wrote a song in response to this, composed to the same tune by C Ramchandra, as a sarcastic rejoinder to those who tend to blame all of society’s ills on god’s will. The song, 'Dekh Tere Bhagwan Ki Haalat Kya Ho Gayi Insaan', from Railway Platform (1955), pointed to the differences between the rich and the poor, but instead of lamenting the actions of mankind and invoking god, as Pradeep did, Sahir turned it on its head to say god had changed!<ref name=Cinestaan>{{cite web|last1=Kahlon|first1=Sukhpreet|title= Questioning faith in turbulent times – IS Johar's Nastik (1954) |url= https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2018/aug/14/15011/questioning-faith-in-turbulent-times-is-johar-s-nastik-1954|website=Cinestaan.com |accessdate= 14 Aug 2018|ref= Nastik}}</ref>

=== Song list (Hindi) ===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! Song !! Singer
|-
| "Kitna Badal Gaya Insan"
| [[Kavi Pradeep]]
|-
| "Tere Hote Hue Aaj Main"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]]
|-
| "Jai Jai Ram Raghu Rai"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]]
|-
| "Kanha Bajaye Bansari"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]]
|-
| "Jhuki Jaye Nazar"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]]
|-
| "Kaise Aaye Hai Din"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]]
|-
| "Jo Bhi Dena Chahe De De"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]]
|-
| "Gagan Jhanjhana Raha, Pawan Sansana Raha, Lahar Lahar Pe Aaj Hai Toofan"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]], [[Hemant Kumar]]
|-
| "Zor Laga Le Arey Zamane, Kitna Zor Lagayega"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]], [[C. Ramchandra]]
|-
|}

=== Song list (Tamil) ===
All lyrics were penned by [[Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Thiraikalanjiyam — Part 2|author=G. Neelamegam|language=Tamil|page=88 |publisher=Manivasagar Publishers, Chennai 108 (Ph:044 25361039). First edition November 2016}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! # !! Title !!Singer
|-
|1 || "Maanilamel Sila Maanidaraal" || [[Thiruchi Loganathan]]
|-
|2 || "Vidhi Vinnil Meerudhe" || Thiruchi Loganathan & [[Lakshmi Shankar]]
|-
|3 || "En Angamengum Pongiduthe" || rowspan=5|Lakshmi Shankar
|-
|4 || "Amirdhamum Vishamum Serndhe"
|-
|5 || "Gopaalan Venuganam Paada"
|-
|6 || "Yeno Madamai Ulaginar Varuga"
|-
|7 || "Maaraa Maiyal"
|}

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

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0232166|Nastik (1954)}}

[[Category:1954 films]]
[[Category:Films scored by C. Ramchandra]]
[[Category:1954 crime drama films]]
[[Category:1950s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian crime drama films]]

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Nastik (1954 film)