Millets: India
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Millets in Indian cinema
Hindi- Urdu cinema, 1940-2001
Avijit Ghosh, May 4, 2023: The Times of India
In the ongoing International Year of Millets, the Union government is promoting the consumption of these grains. Here’s a look at how the dryland cereals, especially jowar (sorghum) and bajra (pearl millet), have been part of popular Hindi cinema’s songs, dialogues and landscape for over eight decades: Aurat (1940) Several scenes and songs in Mehboob Khan’s hinterland drama of poverty and resilience are set amid sprawling fields of jowar. The ripe and ready crop forms the backdrop of music director Anil Biswas’s compositions, such as ‘Bol bol tu bolre, man ke panchhi bol’. Tillers also reap and chant, ‘Morey angna laga ambwa ke ped,’ as they harvest the produce. Mother India (1957) Early in Mehboob Khan’s epic tale of rural India, a remake of Aurat, the lead characters Radha (Nargis) and her husband Shamu (Raaj Kumar) sing ‘Matwala jiya’ with fellow farmers in the fecund jowar fields. Later, Nargis and her children toil in the same fields lamenting, ‘Duniya mein hum aaye hai’. Deeper into the movie, Nargis and her two grown-up sons harvest the grain and joyfully sing, ‘Dukh bhare din beete re bhaiya’.
In one of the film’s most intense scenes, the village moneylender Sukhi Lala (Kanhaiya Lal) approaches Radha’s angry young son Birju (Sunil Dutt) lying on a mound of freshly-threshed and winnowed jowar.
Lala says, “Zara hat ja. Yeh mere hisse ki jawari hai (move aside, this is my share of jowar). ” Birju replies, “Pehle hisaab dikhana. Phir mere jawari par nazar dalna (first show me the books, then think about my share). ”
The face-off flares into a heated exchange and almost turns violent before Birju is forced away. In the climax, Birju burns the books.
Teen Devian (1965)
Dev Anand and Nanda frolic, eat corn and sing love – ‘Likha hai teri aankhon mein’ – in the open and wide fields of bajra.
Roti, Kapda aur Makaan (1974)
Anti-national black marketeers are the main bad boys in Manoj Kumar’s blockbuster. At one point, the profiteers gather and talk about hoarding ghee, rice, oil, wheat, as well as jowar and bajra, and then selling them at inflated prices.
Sholay (1975)
Three dacoits led by Kalia (Viju Khote) drop by to claim what they believe is their share. One of the villagers brings a sackful of grains. “Aao, aao, Shankar. Kya laaye ho,” asks Kalia. “Malik, jowar laya hoon. ” Shankar is immediately abused and humiliated for not bringing enough grain.
Lagaan (2001)
At the very beginning, Amitabh Bachhan’s voiceover tells you the tax that the British receive includes gehoon (wheat), chawal (rice) and bajra (pearl millet). The film is located in a rain-shadow area. Bajra is a more likely crop in such parts.
Millet Country
India is the world’s largest producer of millets. As per Union agricultural ministry estimates, the country will produce 16 million tonnes of millets in 2022-23. About 98% will be bajra (pearl millet), jowar (sorghum) and ragi (finger millet). The rest will be small millets. Ignored for decades, the dryland grains are being hailed as a nutritious smart food. In recent months, both PM Narendra Modi and Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman have strongly engaged in millet advocacy. Sitharaman described millets as “shree anna”, the mother of all grains, in her Budget speech. The government is also pushing for the introduction of the cereals in state-run canteens. Even the army, reports said, aims to reintroduce millets for soldier’s rations.
