Link to Purchase Tickets, Starting at $5: https://www.academymuseum.org/en/programs/detail/mother-india-019475cc-31cd-6e2c-016e-c3d925071e71

The first Indian film to be nominated for an International Feature Film Oscar, Mother India is a melodrama that emerged against the backdrop of a newly independent India. Shot on Gevacolor, the film captures the transformation of Radha (Nargis) from a young bride in a remote village to a single mother and finally an aging mother of two sons who embodies the struggles and aspirations of a fledgling nation freeing itself from exploitative feudalism while upholding the values of virtue and ceaseless toil. One of the most revered films in Indian cinema, the climax of this story is the stuff of legend, both for its stunning impact as well as its role in restoring moral order.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.

1957 | 172 min | India | Color | Hindi | Not Rated | DCP

DIRECTED BY: Mehboob Khan

WRITTEN BY: Wajahat Mirza, S. Ali Raza

WITH: Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar