Latest news with #Haqeeqat
India Today
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Haqeeqat, a war film forged in India's steely defiance in defeat
As part of our Retro Review series on Hindi films from the past, we revisit 'Haqeeqat', the epic that soothed India's pain of the 1962 Haqeeqat (1964)Cast: Balraj Sahni, Dharmendra, Priya Rajvansh, Jayant, Vijay Anand, Sanjay Khan, SudhirDirector: Chetan AnandMusic/Lyrics: Madan Mohan, Kaifi AzmiBox-office status: HitWhere to watch: YouTubeWhy to watch: For expansive, gritty war scenes shot in Ladakh, capturing both beauty and painMoral of the story: In every defeat there is a victory, even if moraladvertisement'Haqeeqat' isn't a movie. It is the template for almost every war film made in Bollywood since 1964. 'Border' is 'Haqeeqat', 'LoC-Kargil' is 'Haqeeqat', even the recent Tamil biographical film 'Amaran' (2024) is 'Haqeeqat'. Like the beginning of an era that defines everything before and after it, 'Haqeeqat' is a pivotal moment in Indian cinematic epic Indian war films follow a simple stylesheet. They introduce an ensemble, mostly young men - because war is primarily a tragedy where the old cremate their young. The narrative builds with the backstories of these men, full of dreams and hopes. Songs of love, separation and military-camp camaraderie follow as a war looms. And then there is the inevitable death. In eyeball-to-eyeball conflict with a ruthless enemy. As Chetan Anand, the director of 'Haqeeqat', told Satyajit Ray, a war film is a mosaic - of life, love, hate and death. Photo credit: IMDb advertisementIn 'Haqeeqat', Chetan Anand crafts this mosaic with philosophical beauty, creating poetry in the middle of mayhem. He layers it with poignant moments of valour and loss, lyrical songs that epitomise pain and sacrifice. And two hours of raw, intense war. With sweeping shots in black and white of Ladakh, its monstrous deserts, imposing hills and daunting streams, he captures both its horror and magnificence. If not for the inherent tragedy, 'Haqeeqat' would have made you fall in love with war. All's fair, beautiful and horrifying in SCRIPTA lost war, like personal grief, is impossible to revisit. Its humiliation cuts like a shard. Its pain haunts like a silent ghost. So, it was bold of Chetan Anand, the eldest of the Anand brothers, to make a film on India's loss in the 1962 Sino-Indian war. And that too, when the wound was so raw that it was tantamount to sprinkling salt over Anand picks up the defiant resolution of a handful of soldiers to showcase bravery, underlining valour even in retreat, defeat and death. Loosely inspired by the battle of Rezzang La, 'Haqeeqat' shows the heroic last stand of Indian soldiers outnumbered by the Chinese at forward posts in Ladakh. (Much like the battle of Longewala immortalised in JP Dutta's 'Border').advertisementThe battle of Rezzang La was fought by 13 Kumaon, led by Major Shaitan Singh, on November 18, 1962 at 16,000 feet in freezing conditions. On being confronted by the Chinese, who crept up on them before dawn, the 120-140 Indian soldiers fought for five hours, literally to the last man. Major Singh, who sustained multiple gunshots, refused to fall back. For his bravery, Major Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military employs the flashforward-flashack narrative that has become the hallmark of such movies. He traces the 1962 tragedy through several sub-plots that finally converge. The film's main arc follows Major Ranjit Singh (Balraj Sahni), whose soldiers have been forced to retreat. To help him evacuate, Captain Bahadur Singh (Dharmendra) fights a heroic battle. In the climactic moments, a local girl - Anand's lifelong muse Priya Rajvansh - joins Bahadur Singh in a till-do-us-part pact. Photo credit: IMDb But 'Haqeeqat' is also a political film. It captures India's disgust with China for the unexpected, brutal war. In one scene, Balraj Sahni rails against Chinese treachery. 'We lobbied for them on international platforms. We followed the five principles of peace. We rolled out the red carpets for their visiting leaders (Chinese premier Zhou Enlai); we even asked them to decorate our soldiers for bravery. And, they put bullets in the chest of the same soldier.' His diatribe is amplified by real footage, lending a docudrama edge to the another, Sahni's character spits disdainfully as a Chinese soldier repeats ad nauseam, 'Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai.' To show his rage against the back-stabbing Chinese, a soldier thrusts his bayonet into Mao Zedong's Little Red Book, the ideological Bible of Communist pride was hurt by the defeat in the two-theatre war in Ladakh and NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh). Unprepared for high-terrain battles, soldiers were cut down by the Chinese, forcing a retreat and surrender. 'Haqeeqat' stands out because it is cathartic. Its central message of defiance in defeat still AS DEFIANCEIn his epic 'Dr Zhivago', Boris Pasternek describes art as spiritual defiance. India's humiliating loss in 1962 produced two of the greatest calls for defiance in Indian music's history. Lata Mangeshkar's 'Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon,' and Mohammad Rafi's 'Kar Chale Hum Fida' - 'Haqeeqat's' swan lot has been written about Lata Mangeshkar's 'Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon'- a song that starts like a dirge and roars like a revolution. Some day we will revisit the legacy of its writer Kavi Pradeep and composer C now, watan ke logon, remember Rafi, Madan Mohan and Kaifi Azmi for their greatest contribution to cinema.'Haqeeqat' ends with the defiant words of Kaifi Azmi, 'Kar Chale Hum Fida'. Its patriotic fervour rivals 'Mera Rang De Basanti'- the song Bhagat Singh sings to the gallows in 'Shaheed' (1965). Each line is steeped in sacrifice and valour - stirring thamti gayi, nabz jamti gayiPhir bhi badhte kadam ko na rukne diyaKat gaye sar hamare to kuchh gham nahinSar himalay ka humne na jhukne diyaMarte marte raha baankpan saathiyon Kaifi's words soar like the Himalayas in Mohammad Rafi's voice, lifting the spirit like an anthem of the undefeated. In the background, Madan Mohan arranges a feast of light strings that start on a sombre note and then explode with violins and brass instruments that go to war. A fitting requiem for the brave, a symphony of resilience, a daring invite to the embrace of like 'Haqeeqat', this isn't just a song. It is a declaration of India's steely resolve - bent but not broken. Photo credit: IMDb PS: In 1965, after the war with Pakistan, Kaifi Azmi wrote a poem inspired by the Bhagavad Gita. It appears in Chetan Anand's 'Hindustan Ki Kasam' (worth watching, but for the poor print), as an ode to the role of the Indian Air Force in the 1971 India is in the throes of a conflict, Kaifi Azmi's lines are worth remembering:Whether a war is a blessing or a curse,Don't ask this question now,Now that it has been thrust upon usA war can only be a blessing!
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Border, Uri, Shershaah: Indian war movies you must watch in light of Operation Sindoor
In the early hours of Wednesday, May 7, the Indian armed forces launched 24 precision missile strikes targeting nine terrorist targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The sites included Muridke and Bahawalpur, which are known bases of terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. The strikes, carried out in retaliation over the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir's Baisaran meadow on April 22 which led to the loss of 26 innocent civilian lives, resulted in the deaths of over 70 terrorists, leaving over 60 injured. This, was Operation Sindoor. Operation Sindoor: Patriotic films to watch today(Photos: IMDb) With the news of the same undoubtedly having left your chest swelling with pride, here are some of the finest war movies to have come out of Bollywood in the past decades, which definitely warrant a watch today. Chetan Anand's 1964 war drama Haqeeqat, features Dharmendra as Captain Bahadur Singh, and follows his platoon fighting the Sino-Indian war of 1962, Presumed dead in Ladakh, tribals come to their rescue. The classic also features Priya Rajvansh, Vijay Anand and Sanjay Khan. A still from Haqeeqat (1964)(Photo: IMDb) Lalkar Ramanand Sagar's Lalkar (1972) with Dharmendra and Rajendra Kumar in the lead, follows the story of brothers deployed by the Indian Civil Services to fight in World War II. When one is presumed dead, the other is sent on a covert mission. Mala Sinha stars as the mutual love interest. Border JP Dutta's 1997 blockbuster Border, is easily a cult classic when it comes to the war genre in Indian cinema. Starring Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff and Akshaye Khanna, the film follows the ordeals of a band of 120 Indian soldiers in the Longewala region, defending their post all night until they receive assistance from the Indian Air Force the next morning. A still from Border (1997)(Photo: IMDb) LOC Kargil Also a JP Dutta classic, LOC Kargil (2003) follows soldiers of the Indian Army as they try to locate their patrol officers after learning that Pakistani troops are crossing the Line of Control — a battle ensues. The film stars Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Suniel Shetty and Rani Mukerji among others. A still from LOC Kargil (1964)(Photo: IMDb) Lakshya Directed by Farhan Akhtar, the Hrithik Roshan-led Lakshya (2004) makes for a very poignant tale of an aimless young boy, whose life stands transformed after he joins the Indian Army on a whim, learning of how hard a soldier's life really is. He abandons the impulsive pursuit, but soon finds himself walking down the same path again in a redemptive arc. The film also stars Preity Zinta. Shaurya Samar Khan's Shaurya (2008), features Rahul Bose, Kay Kay Menon and Deepak Dobriyal in the lead, following Captain Javed Khan who is accused of killing his commanding officer, Major Rathod — conspicuous silence envelops the plot. Shaurya also stars MinisSha Lamba and Amrita Rao and is interestingly, narrated by Shah Rukh Khan. Uri: The Surgical Strike An absolute sensation right as it released back in 2019, and with very good reason, Aditya Dhar's Uri: The Surgical Strike, cinematises the very real story of India's retaliation to the 2016 Uri attack. It was the film that catapulted Vicky Kaushal into the coveted A-listers category, and features him as Major Vihaan Singh Shergill, who leads the covert surgical strike on Pakistani territory. Shershaah Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani's roman empire so far when it comes to their filmographies, Vishnuvardhan's Shershaah (2021) in inspired from the real life of Vikram Batra, who forfeits a life with his love Dimple, as his duties lead him to climb the military ranks, ending in him significantly contributing to India's victory in the Kargil War. This one's a complete tearjerker. Sam Bahadur The second Vicky Kaushal-starrer on the list, Meghna Gulzar's Sam Bahadur (2023) features the actor as Sam Manekshaw, India's first Field Marshal, and follows his life of service in the Indian Army, spanning over 4 decades and 5 wars. Which of these will you bit hitting play on first?
India.com
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This actress became an overnight star after working with Dharmendra, later did all films with one director, Dev Anand, Waheeda Rehman were her…
This actress became an overnight star after working with Dharmendra, later did all films with one director, Dev Anand, Waheeda Rehman were her… There are many actresses who have ruled the silver screen with their impeccable performances. Today, we will talk about one such actress who worked with several stalwarts of the Hindi film industry. Despite few films to her credit in a 22-year-career, the actress managed to crave out a niche for herself in the entertainment industry. She is none other than Priya Rajvansh, who made her debut with the 1964 film, Haqeeqat. She became an overnight star after her successful debut release, alongside Dharmendra. Soon, she acted in seven films, and the one that garnered her success were Haqeeqat, Heer Ranjha, Hanste Zakhm, and Kudrat . She has worked with some of the leading names in the Hindi film industry, including Rajesh Khanna, Dev Anand, Hema Malini and more. Born in Shimla to Sunder Singh, Priya was the sister of Waheeda Rehman's husband Kamaljeet Singh. After her graduation, she was introduced to Dev Anand's brother, filmmaker Chetan Anand, who was looking for a newcomer for his film Heer Ranjha. During the filming of Heer Ranjha, Chetan and Priya fell in love. Chetan was previously married at the time to Uma Anand. He was separated from his wife, but wasn't officially divorced. Due to this reason, Chetan couldn't marry Priya and were in a live-in relationship. Despite 16-year-gap between the two, their love for each other knew no bounds. Unfortunately, Priya and Chetan's happy life turned upside down when he passed away in 1997. After his death, Priya, along with his sons from first marriage, Ketan and Vivek, inherited his property. She also took rights of his beachfront bungalow in Ruia Park, with rights reverted to Chetan's sons after her death. In 2000, Priya Rajvansh was found murdered in the same bungalow. Soon, Chetan's sons, Ketan and Vivek were arrested for Priya's murder. The two were sentenced to life, but were granted bail after two years of imprisonment.
