Im Schatten des Lebens

Boot polish is a masterpiece in Indian cinema.The movie is well scripted with powerful performances by baby Naaz and Ratan Kumar.Baby Naaz steals your heart through her fantastic performance and also through her dialogue delivery. Boot polish is a masterpiece because the theme of the movie is relevant even today.The writing is exceptional which makes this movie a masterpiece.Even the songs are exceptionally wonderful.boot polish will remain as a masterpiece in Indian cinema for the unique performance of baby Naaz.The dialogues are heart touching.David Abraham gives a memorable performance as uncle john.Shankar Jaikishan music is excellent with fantastic songs.A masterpiece that requires high Honour forever in the Indian cinema.A masterpiece with an fine social melodrama.A must see for every Indian.

"There is no difficulty such that you cannot overcome it and no height such that you cannot reach it; you must keep trying." Raj Kapoor...

I saw Boot Polish once when I was a student in Michigan many years ago and I never forgot it. I was thrilled to be able to see it again this week in its new DVD release by Yash Raj Films, and I loved it just as much if not more.

Boot Polish is a pure example of Hindi cinema (now called "Bollywood"). It is filled with songs and dances, stylized artifice, idealized characters, myriad sub-plots, and an inspiring message. Though not a musical, the joyous and hypnotic songs are interwoven into the plot in a way that both enhances the drama and reminds you that it is "also" a movie.

The direction is attributed to Prakash Arora, assistant to the "great showman" Raj Kapoor; however, the story is that Kapoor took one look at the rush print and realized he had made a mistake in assigning it to Arora, then re-shot the entire film himself. The film won the 1953/54 Filmfare awards (India's version of the Oscars) for best picture, best supporting actor, and best cinematography.

The story is about the relationship between a ten-year old boy, Bhola (Rhatan Kumar) and his seven-year old sister Belu (Baby Naaz). The children are without parents. They live in a slum area in Bombay with Kamla, a cold and unloving relative, and must beg to stay alive. Bhola and Belu undergo verbal and physical abuse from Kamla when they don't bring home enough money each day. Their only friend is a neighbor, John Chacha (David Ebrahim), who operates a bootlegging business outside the law.

John Chacha provides the kids with the emotional warmth they need and tells them not to beg but to find some work. "Starve, die, but don't beg. Do something with your two hands", he says and instructs them in the art of polishing shoes. Bhola and Belu gradually become proficient in their trade and eke out a living, refusing to take alms. The monsoon rains come, however, and their business suffers. In addition, John's arrest takes from them the little love and comfort they had. Beg or die is the question that the children must now face.

Some may dismiss Boot Polish as melodrama but, for me, it is a life affirming and immensely rich cinematic experience. The love of the children for each other is very real, and their struggle for survival and social respectability is deeply moving. Filled with positive energy and the "heroic face of innocence", Boot Polish is now more than ever one of my all time favorite films.

This is a Hindi language film starring Rattan Kumar and Kumari Naaz.

The film is about the struggle to survive of two children, a brother and sister.

The premise is how after being orphaned, they have to beg to earn money for their guardian, a cruel aunt. And how they rise from that stage to trying to learn a skill and earn money for themselves.

And in my eyes, the film would have been a masterpiece if it had progressed from there to showing how they also get independent and help similar others struggling also to rise. It would have been an inspiring film for the newly independent country.

Instead the film refuses to leave its melancholic and cynical tone and shows that it's difficult for the poor to rise by themselves. A tone that it had set upfront by showing characters in black and white shades than the truly gray shades we all are, especially the aunt.

The message at the end is also very cynical. Where the spirit of the boy is shown as finally broken, and he is then humiliated in front of his own sister.

And the final message that the poor can only be redeemed by the rich!!

The purpose and the point of the film was missed in the melodrama and the film was awarded Best picture in 1954..

I rated it 6/10 in IMDB.

All I want to say that every person living in this world should watch this Indian movie.Especially Who are Afraid ,Coward and thinking about themselves that they are of no use in this world, in their life.Whoever is Hating Himself must watch it. As I watched this movie for first time I broke into tears .I am a teenager Guy Though.I can't explain how beautifully every thing is Explained In this movie that gives you a Strong Determination & Inspiration to not lose hope and have self respect. Finally i wanna request you that for god's sake go for this movie at least once if you have true compassion within you.Hat.s off for the respective director including his cast and crew.

This film ranks as one of the finest thought provoking social dramas asking how we look at ourselves given the limited resources and choices and faced with overwhelming odds. Raj Kapoor's presentation of the humble lifestyle of two children who wish to overcome the obstacles of abject poverty shows the importance of the spirit of endurance and dedication in the face of adversity. We can learn from children when they try to face challenges in the world created by greedy souls.

I would recommend this film as a lesson in the triumph of the human spirit when facing the evils of man made adversity. We probably can relate to the two youn protaganists of the film in our everyday lives. Life can be a bitch, and films such as BOOT POLISH show the more dramatic encounters of what we call the human struggle.