Never Ending Movie Carnival
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Cannes: Do you know that seventy-eight years ago this Indian filmmaker created history in Cannes by winning the only Palme d’Or won by an Indian Film?!! Details Inside
Do You Know that an Indian film has won the Palme d’Or seventy-eight years ago?!!
Today as we all are clapping in joy for Payal Kapadia (‘All We Imagine As Light’) Grand Prix for best Feature, FTII student Chidananda S Naik short (‘Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know’ and Anasuya Sengupta (performance award) for "The Shameless" shinning bright in each of the three competitive sections of the prestigious gala.
The raining of awards at Cannes for Indian filmmakers and artiste has brought hope and joy as we cheer continuously for the Indian winners specially at Cannes 2024 Film Festival, let’s take this opportunity to extend our chorus with a resounding echo to this Indian film made by this genius filmmaker seventy-eight year ago that bagged the Palme d’Or in 1946, the only Palme d’Or won by an Indian film/filmmaker.
Yes, its true, India has won a Palme d’Or and without creating any more suspense here are the details of India’s first and only Palme d’Or triumph.
The name of the movie is ‘Neecha Nagar’ (1946) directed by the legendary Chetan Anand (known for classics like Taxi Driver (1954), Funtoosh (1956), Haqeeqat (1964), Aakhri Khat (1966), Heer Raanjha (1970), Hanste Zakhm (1973), Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973), Kudrat (1981) etc.
Written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Hayatullah Ansari, and produced by Rashid Anwar and A. Halim, ‘Neecha Nagar’ is said to be inspired by Gorky's Russian Play ‘The Lower Depths’ and considered to be a pioneering effort in social realism in Indian cinema that burned the lamp for the movement called parallel cinema (a cinema that is based on realism that promotes socialism and talks about the class and others divides).
‘Neecha Nagar’ starred Chetan Anand's wife Uma Anand, with Rafiq Anwar and marked the debut of actress Kamini Kaushal and renewed musician Ravi Shankar debuted as music director in this film.
‘Neecha Nagar’ also starred Murad, Rafi Peer, Hamid Butt, and Zohra Sehgal.
Interestingly, the coveted Cannes Film Festival made its debut in the same year when ‘Neecha Nagar’ was made – 1946.
The 1st annual Cannes Film Festival was held from 20 September to 5 October 1946. Reportedly twenty-one countries participated and send their films at the "First Cannes International Film Festival", which took place at the former Casino of Cannes.
Surprisingly, eleven films tied for the first Grand Prix of the International Festival. (Before Palme d’Or, the highest prize for the best film at Cannes Film Festival was called “Grand Prix du Festival International du Film”, The Palme d'Or (English: Golden Palm) was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Before that the Cannes Film Festival’s highest prize was the ‘Grand Prix du Festival International du Film’.
Chetan Anand is the elder brother of Hindi cinema’s ever green star the legendary the iconic Dev Anand aka Dev Sahaab.
Sadly, ‘Neecha Nagar’ was never released in India in theaters, ‘Neecha Nagar’ reportedly was telecasted on Doordarshan in 1980s.
‘Neecha Nagar’ can be watched on Youtube but the print quality is not that great.
A child born from life & fed by cinema. A filmi keeda from child & a film journalist for the last fifteen years. a father, seeker, foodie who loves crooning bollywood melodies twitter.com/cineblues More By vishal verma