It was circa 1946 when Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar grew to become the primary Indian movie to have gained the Grand Prix prize at Cannes and paved the way in which for the nation’s filmmakers to take the movie to a world stage. The movie was screened alongside different notable movies from around the globe, reminiscent of Roberto Rossellini’s Rome, Open City (Italy), David Lean’s Brief Encounter (UK), and Billy Wilder’s The Lost Weekend (USA).
The movie’s music was composed by Pandit Ravi Shankar and starred Uma Anand, Rafiq Ahmed, Rafi Peer and Zohra Sehgal.
Inspired by Maxim Gorky’s play The Lower Depths, Neecha Nagar was directed by filmmaker Chetan Anand and depicted the social and financial disparities of Indian society throughout that period. The movie introduced the life of people residing in slums and emphasised the exploitation they skilled by the hands of the elite.
The movie follows a fictional city Neecha Nagar, characterised by its downhill location and being inhabited by the decrease financial class. In shut proximity lies Ooncha Nagar, an uphill city the place the rich reside. Despite their proximity, the stark variations between these two worlds are evident.
Enter Sarkar, a cunningly named businessman symbolising the federal government. He devises a plan to reroute the open sewage canal, which carries the waste from Ooncha Nagar, by means of Neecha Nagar. As the townspeople of Neecha Nagar develop into conscious of Sarkar’s intentions, they vehemently oppose the challenge. However, pushed by his vested pursuits, Sarkar stays decided to proceed, dismissing their rising resistance.
In an try to downplay the severity of the sewage canal, Sarkar manipulates public notion, claiming it to be nothing greater than a stream of water with a little bit of filth. He even hires a person from Neecha Nagar to scrub it, additional dividing the townspeople.
Tragically, the unhygienic residing situations in Neecha Nagar result in an outbreak of an epidemic. Exploiting the distress he himself created, Sarkar builds a hospital, aiming to revenue farther from the struggling.
The remaining a part of the story focuses on how the individuals of Neecha Nagar overcome their private insecurities, unite, and rise up in opposition to the highly effective builder.
It is value noting that this movie was produced through the remaining levels of British rule when the British authorities imposed stringent guidelines and restrictions. Despite these challenges, the solid and crew joined forces and managed to create the movie inside a restricted price range.
Chetan Anand later directed movies reminiscent of Haqeeqat, Heer Ranjha, Kudrat, and the critically acclaimed Doordarshan serial Param Vir Chakra, but it surely was Neecha Nagar that established the groundwork for his cinematic profession.