Boot Polish

Boot Polish" is a classic Indian film released in 1954, directed by Prakash Arora and produced by Raj Kapoor. It is a heartwarming tale that showcases the struggles of two young siblings and their journey towards survival and self-reliance. Set in the backdrop of post-independence India, the film tackles the themes of poverty, social inequality, and the importance of perseverance.

The story revolves around two siblings, Bhola and Belu, who are left orphaned and forced to live on the streets of Mumbai. They are desperately poor and resort to begging for a living. One day, they come across a bootlegger, John Chacha, who gives them the opportunity to earn money by polishing shoes. The siblings embark on this new venture, and with hard work and dedication, they gradually improve their circumstances.

"Boot Polish" is a touching portrayal of the harsh realities faced by children in impoverished conditions. The film beautifully captures the innocence and resilience of Bhola and Belu, who are played by Ratan Kumar and Baby Naaz, respectively. Their performances are remarkable, evoking both sympathy and admiration from the audience.

The film also emphasizes the importance of education and how it can break the cycle of poverty. Bhola and Belu's encounter with a kind-hearted school teacher, played by David Abraham, provides a glimmer of hope and inspires them to strive for a better future.

One of the film's strengths lies in its ability to blend social commentary with moments of humor and joy. The song sequences, especially the popular track "Nanhe Munne Bachche," add a lively and entertaining element to the narrative.

"Boot Polish" was well-received by audiences and critics alike upon its release. It won the Filmfare Award for Best Film and Best Director, and the child actors received special mention for their exceptional performances. The film's success can be attributed to its sincere storytelling, memorable characters, and its poignant exploration of social issues.

Overall, "Boot Polish" is a timeless classic that continues to resonate with viewers even after several decades. It serves as a reminder of the power of hope, determination, and the indomitable spirit of children in the face of adversity. If you appreciate thought-provoking cinema with a social message, "Boot Polish" is definitely worth watching.

What worked:

• the sublime message of the movie advocates for hard work, hope and perseverance. Relevant to it's time, the movie takes into consideration the child psychology, and narrates the raw, gritty and sad truth of its time. I think it is okay to say that the many movies of that generation talks about The socioeconomic disparity between the haves and havenots.

What did not work:

• culturally irrelevant; though the movie has its strong influence of that time, it's irrelevant and not relatable. Of course, there is poverty, discrimination and sadistic reality in today's society, maybe today's filmmaker will definitely use this movie's main agenda as a sublayer of a main plot instead of keeping it the main agenda.

Final verdict: recommended

"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.

I must admit I've always enjoyed the films of Raj Kapoor especially from his early golden period, but can find his moralising laid on a little heavy at times. He took the best pathos and melodrama from Chaplin and spun it out relentlessly. As in Boot Polish. It's not that I can argue with any of his philosophising and moral instruction, just that history has proved Film itself will never change the social system; it never brings shame to the faces of our Betters, but it probably would just make them wonder how much more they can turn the screws on us. After all, Film represents an entertainment they have paid their paisa or pennies for us to waste production time watching.

Two young children are orphaned and thrown onto the not so tender mercies of their scolding prostitute aunt and nice but drunken uncle in a Mumbai slum. She teaches them to beg for a living, he tries to teach them of the better, honest and more painful way, in their case the complicated profession of polishing other people's boots. It's done very well, and if it wasn't for the comedy and the songs almost neo-realist - RK even makes a fag-in-cheek cameo at the beginning. To beg or not to beg, that is the question - but the pain of surviving the slings and arrows of capitalism goes on…and on for the children, although their destitute situation does eventually improve. Baby Naaz must have been very young but she provided a marvellously believable performance. My favourite bit though amidst all the grinding poverty is the energetic comic raag Lapak Jhapak To Aare Badarwa sung by Manna Dey for the uncle and his fellow bald headed companions in jail – delicious stuff! I always wondered whether bits like these were particularly edited out in the Russian versions?

Needless to say self-sacrifice and self-effacement bring their reward - so basically it's another rewarding film from RK, an expertly produced moral melodrama.

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.