Indian film booklet

Front cover: The title is across two thirds of the page next to which is a dramatic side profile of Radha (Nargis) rising out of the flames. There seems to be roughly drawn figures at the bottom of the page. The entire image has been painted-over in oil paints with the brush strokes giving a sense of texture and depth to the design.

Inside Front cover: Image of a woman standing in front of the wedding fire. The entire image has been painted-over with oil paints. The following words next to her:" FIRE-THE CRUCIBLE OF VIRTURE". Like Sita, the fabled goddess of purity she stepped into the ordeal of fire only to come out into the dawn of a new life. Those who sacrifice never die. They only inherit a greater existence.'

First page: Synopsis of the film along with quote from Max Muller

Page 2 & 3: Black and white photographs of the filming. Plus short description of technical team that worked on the film including the director, Mehboob.

Page 4: Synopsis of Mehboob Khan - The Producer.

Page 5: The top half has an image of Radha and her husband on their wedding day. They are surrounded by many smaller images of the wedding procession with villagers riding bullocks and playing musical instruments. The bottom half has a piece of writing entitled; ' To the Indian farmer his bride is the greatest blessing of God'.

Page 6: Top half has an image of Radha holding her two sons while rain comes stroming down. Below this is some text with the heading: ' Without her husband she was like a ship without a rudder.'

Page 7: Top half has an image of Radha and her son Shamoo ploughing the land. Below this is some text entitled: 'The frown of nature dries the heart of mother earth and sets a problem to the children of the soil'.

Page 8:Top half has an image of Radha and Shamoo tending a bullock that had collapsed. The bottom half has some text entitled: ' To the farmer, the bullock is a brother in the bread-hunt and its death an occasion for tears'.

Page 9: Top half has an image of Radha ploughing the soil - this is a classic image which has been used on posters. The bottom half has text entitled: 'The grain of rice on your table does not tell the grim tale of the toil which grew it.'

Pages 10 & 11: Top half has an image of Radha holding her dead baby who has just been drowned in the floods. Around her are smaller images of the villagers abandoning the village. Below this is text entitled: 'When nature frowns on man even the cradle of his birth looks like a graveyard of his hopes'.

Page 12: Top half has an image of Champa, one of the young women of the village dancing, She is surrounded by many smaller figures also dancing. Below this is text entitled: 'A good harvest is the rainbow in a farmer's life - it is a festival of song and dance.'

Page 13: Top half has an image of Radha cradling her two grown sons. Below this is text entitled: ' What the mother sings to the cradle goes all the way to the grave'.

Page 14: Top half has many smaller images, Birjoo on a Bullock, the money lender and his daughter. Below this is text entitled: ' There is more mischief in the village than comes to our ears.'

Page 15: Top half has an image of Radha and Birjoo rising out of the flames that have engulfed their land. Below this is text entitled: The lamp that lights a home often burns down the house.'

Page 16: Top half has an image of Radha wielding a gun and Birjoo on horseback kidnapping Champa. Below this is text entitled: ' Round the sanctity of a woman's person the ancient Indians built their entire culture and religion'.

There is no page 17 or 18.

Page 19: An acknowledgement to the villagers who helped with the making of the films along with their photographs.

Pages 20 & 21: Photographs of the cast.

Page 22: List of credits.

Inside back cover: A painted-over image of Radha trying to restrain Birjoo with the following text; 'Hatred never lighted a lamp of faith, love alone lends a divine glow to humanity'.
'Kill me first, my son' said the greatest mother, ' before you life your strong arm to kill others.' But hatred had made him deaf.

Back cover: A portrait of Radha with the dead body of Birjoo nearby - all in a painted-over effect. With the following words: ' With spirit greater than flesh she made sacrifice the supreme symbol of motherhood! A mother of India shot her own evil son with her own hand so that the good ones may carry the flame of life from one to the another in love and harmony...'

Given by Mehboob Productions (Private) Ltd., Mumbai, India

Front cover: This image is from the lavishly produced film booklet which gives an insight into the film, its making and village life. It shows Radha making her wedding vows in front of the sacred fire. She is likened to the goddess, Sita, known for her duty to her family. In her desperation to feed her starving children Radha has to choose between responding to her landlord's sexual advances or preserving her honour. As with representations of women in Indian history and mythology, Radha's honour is held up as a measure of her family, her village, and the nation.

Back cover: Radha's greatest sacrifice is to kill her beloved son, whose rebellious ways lead to the ultimate crime of threatening the honour of another woman - a crime which she too has had to face in the past. The technique of using thick strokes of paint over photographic stills gives an intensity to these images which matches the emotional intensity of the film scenes.

IS.158-1992