Sahara (1958 film)
Encyclopedia
Sahara is an Indian
Bollywood
film directed by Lekhraj Bhakri, released in 1958. The film stars Meena Kumari
in the lead role of Leela and relates her life story.
) lives with her cruel aunt, Rangilibai (Leela Mishra
); cousin, Kaushalya (Kammo); and uncle Vikram Singh (Badri Prasad). When Rangilibai arranges Kaushalya's marriage to Chhote Thakur (M. Rajan), the son of a wealthy landlord, Leela agrees to go with her as a maid as part of her dowry. But things change when the landlord rejects Kaushalya and decides to marry Leela. After marriage, Leela is accused of having a lover and is thrown out of home by her husband, who later understands his mistake as he was misled by his sister. Leela goes to Rangilibai's house, but she firmly refuses to accept her. Alone and desperate, Leela meets a distant relative named Gaman Singh (Kanhaiyalal). He takes her in to live with him and his wife, Swarupbai (Kuldip Kaur). When Leela refuses Swarupbai's demand to beg for alms, the latter blinds her with special eye-drops. Having lost her vision, a blinded Leela is led daily through the streets and is forced to sit near the steps of a temple singing and begging for alms. Soon Leela develops a loving mother-son relationship with another begger of Swarupbai, a boy named Panna (Daisy Irani
). This relationship carries the narrative forward.
nomination for Best Actress
for her performance, the only nomination for the film.
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film directed by Lekhraj Bhakri, released in 1958. The film stars Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari
Meena Kumari , born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian movie actress and poetess. She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema...
in the lead role of Leela and relates her life story.
Plot
Orphaned Leela (Meena KumariMeena Kumari
Meena Kumari , born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian movie actress and poetess. She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema...
) lives with her cruel aunt, Rangilibai (Leela Mishra
Leela Mishra
Leela Mishra was an Indian film actor, who worked as a character actor in over 200 Hindi films for five decades, eventually playing stock characters like aunts, Chachi or Mausi...
); cousin, Kaushalya (Kammo); and uncle Vikram Singh (Badri Prasad). When Rangilibai arranges Kaushalya's marriage to Chhote Thakur (M. Rajan), the son of a wealthy landlord, Leela agrees to go with her as a maid as part of her dowry. But things change when the landlord rejects Kaushalya and decides to marry Leela. After marriage, Leela is accused of having a lover and is thrown out of home by her husband, who later understands his mistake as he was misled by his sister. Leela goes to Rangilibai's house, but she firmly refuses to accept her. Alone and desperate, Leela meets a distant relative named Gaman Singh (Kanhaiyalal). He takes her in to live with him and his wife, Swarupbai (Kuldip Kaur). When Leela refuses Swarupbai's demand to beg for alms, the latter blinds her with special eye-drops. Having lost her vision, a blinded Leela is led daily through the streets and is forced to sit near the steps of a temple singing and begging for alms. Soon Leela develops a loving mother-son relationship with another begger of Swarupbai, a boy named Panna (Daisy Irani
Daisy Irani (actress)
Daisy Irani is a famous former Bollywood and Kollywood child artiste in the 1950s and 1960s. Born into a Zoroastrian family, she is the sister of writer director Honey Irani....
). This relationship carries the narrative forward.
Cast
- Meena KumariMeena KumariMeena Kumari , born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian movie actress and poetess. She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema...
... Leela - M. Rajan ... Chhote Thakur
- Daisy IraniDaisy Irani (actress)Daisy Irani is a famous former Bollywood and Kollywood child artiste in the 1950s and 1960s. Born into a Zoroastrian family, she is the sister of writer director Honey Irani....
... Panna - Kuldip Kaur ... Swarupbai
- Kanhaiya Lal ... Gaman Singh
- Kammo ... Kaushaliya
- Manoj KumarManoj KumarManoj Kumar is an award-winning Indian actor and director in the Bollywood film industry. He is known for acting in and directing films with patriotic themes, and has been given the nickname "Mr Bharat"...
... Shyam - Leela MishraLeela MishraLeela Mishra was an Indian film actor, who worked as a character actor in over 200 Hindi films for five decades, eventually playing stock characters like aunts, Chachi or Mausi...
... Rangilibai - Badri Prasad ... Vikram Singh
Awards
Meena Kumari received a FilmfareFilmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
nomination for Best Actress
Filmfare Best Actress Award
The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:...
for her performance, the only nomination for the film.