Ashok Kumar Movies

Based on a true story that sent shock waves through India in 1992, this drama concerns Sanwari (Nandita Das), a lower-caste woman with a husband, Sohan (Raghuvir Yadav), and two children, who is raising her family in a rural village. While it's generally Sanwari's nature to mind her own business and take care of her family, when she sees a neighbor woman being mistreated by an man from the city's upper caste, Sanwari is outraged and speaks out in public about the incident. Shobha (Deepti Naval), a social worker, is impressed by Sanwari's conviction and hires her as an assistant as the Indian government begins implementing a program to give greater rights and protection to Indian women. While she's timid at first, Sanwari soon comes to value her work as a feminist activist, but as she becomes more outspoken against sexism and abuse of caste position, she earns the enmity of many powerful men in the community. First Sanwari and her family are shunned by the local leaders, and then a group of men from the town's leadership take their revenge by subjecting Sanwari first to a savage beating and then to a gang rape. Sanwari, Shobha, and Sohan refuse to be intimidated or silenced, and when the local leadership refuses to bring Sanwari's attackers to justice, they bring the crime to the attention of the national media, leading people across the country to demand justice for Sanwari -- and for women all over India. Bawandar was directed and co-scripted by Jagmohan, an Indian filmmaker who has made a number of films in the United States under the name Jag Mundhra. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Nargis (famed Indian tragedienne Meena Kumari), a beautiful, talented courtesan gets a chance to escape her life when Shahabuddin (Ashok Kumar), from a respectable family, takes her away with plans to marry her. When his father angrily rejects Nargis and throws her out, she goes into hiding and has Shahabuddin's daughter as she dies of a broken heart. Years later, the daughter, Sahibjaan (Kumari again), who was found by Nargis' sister, Nawabjaan (Veena Sapru), is a courtesan herself. When Shahabuddin belatedly gets word of his child's existence, he goes to find her. But Nawabjaan angrily takes her away. On the long train ride, a stranger (Raaj Kumar) happens into Sahibjaan's compartment, and leaves a poetic note complementing her beautiful feet. Sahibjaan begins to dream of a different life. Eventually, an accident brings her to the stranger, who turns out to be Shahabuddin's nephew, Salim. Afraid to reveal her occupation, Sahibjaan tells him she has amnesia. They've dreamed of each other, and he takes her in, hoping to wed her. She finally breaks down and reveals the truth. Salim is steadfast, but the outside world will not let Sahibjaan forget her sordid past. Meticulous writer-director Kamal Amrohi began planning to make Pakeezah in the late 1950s, with his wife, Kumari. Nearly halfway through production, in 1964, the couple split, and the film was stopped. Years later, with Kumari in poor health, partly due to alcoholism, they resumed making the film. Composer Ghulam Mohammed died before the film was finished, and the score was completed by Naushad. Kumari died less than two months after Pakeezah premiered, and the film became a huge success. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

This lengthy drama finds a poet married to a woman, a wealthy landowner, who employs ruthless thugs to collect the taxes. He longs to study folk songs, but he opposes his wife when she threatens to burn down a village of untouchables if they can't pay the tax. He ends up killing one of the collectors and is sent to prison for his crime. He emerges from prison an old man, and his last act is attending his daughter's wedding where he bestows his blessing upon her. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

This old fashioned story has a woman torn between the love of two different men. She loves a rich doctor, but his personality is considerably less likeable than that of the poor poet. When she chooses the poet over the doctor, the physician tries to win her back. He remains steadfast in his intentions to marry the woman until he is convinced she will be happier with the struggling scribe. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Kamal Amroshi makes his directorial debut with this horror-mystery, widely considered a masterpiece of Indian cinema. The film centers on Shankar (Ashok Kumar), a handsome young lad who buys an old abandoned mansion rumored to have a dark and mysterious past. He quickly notices his resemblance to the portrait of the former owner. Soon afterwards he is approached by the ghost of the former owner's mistress, Kamimi (Madhubala), who orders Shankar to either die or marry her reincarnation, a servant's daughter named Asha. Shankar soon becomes obsessed with the ghost, so much so that his friend, Shrinath (Kanu Roy), worries about his mental health. His friend arranges for Shankar to marry the beautiful Ranjana (Vijayalakshmi). Shankar's obsession only intensifies after the wedding, as he forces his poor bride to live in a vermin-infected shack. She soon commits suicide and Shankar is arrested for her death. Later, it is revealed that Asha made up the entire ghost story. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Bavarian-born Franz Osten directs this innovative romantic melodrama about the oppressive traditions of the caste system. The film centers on an ill-fated love affair between Mohan (P.F. Pithawala), who is Brahmin-born, and Kasturi (Devika Rani), born of the lowly untouchable caste. When the neighbors get wind of their romance, they react with ruthless violence to maintain the community's ancient social order. Later, when Mohan and Kasturi bow to societal norms and marry their pre-selected, caste-approved mates, ugly rumors about the two spread again, resulting in death and bloody retribution. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide