Cinesprint - May 2015

GOLDENm ie
B O L L Y W O O D
Gunga Jumna also transliterated as Ganga Jamuna or Ganga Jamna) is a 1961 dacoit drama
Bollywood film produced in Technicolor by Dilip Kumar and directed by Nitin Bose. The
film stars Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala in the lead with Nasir Khan, Azra, Leela Chitnis,
Kanhaiyalal, Anwar Hussain, Nazir Hussain and Helen forming an ensemble cast.
Notable for its use of Bhojpuri dialect and its rustic
setting, the film features real life brothers Dilip Kumar
and Nasir Khan in the title role, is on the story of two
brothers, Gunga and Jumna, the poignancy of two
brothers on opposite sides of the law.
After six months of delay, the film was finally released
in January 1961. Upon release the film was well
received by the critics and the audience. It was one of
the biggest hits of 1960s and still considered as one of
the most successful Indian film in terms of box office
collection and its controversial theme which earned
the film cult status. The film and the lead actors, Dilip
Kumar and Vyjayanthimala won a lot of accolades for
their performance. Upon release it was nominated in
seven categories at 9th Filmfare Awards including Best
Film, Best Director for Kumar and Bose respectively
while winning three; Best Actress for Vyjayanthimala
and two other technical award for Wajahat Mirza and
V. Balasaheb. It also emerge as the biggest winner at
25th Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards
where it won nine awards in the Hindi film category.
In additional to that the film also won Certificate of
Merit at the 9th National Film Awards.
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The film is about two brothers, Gunga and Jumna,
growing up in a village controlled by an evil landlord.
When Gunga is framed by the landlord for a crime
he did not commit, he escapes to the mountains with
his girlfiend, Dhanno, and joins a band of bandits. His
younger brother, Jumna, is sent to the city for his
education and becomes a police officer. Years later,
when Gunga is about to become a father, he decides to
return to the village to ask for forgiveness. However,
Jumna wants him to surrender to the police for his
crimes and when Gunga refuses and tries to leave,
Jumna shoots him dead. Gunga’s death rendered more
poignant by the fact that it was his money that paid
for Jumna’s education and allowed him to become a
policeman.