Introduction
V Shantaram's Do Aankhen Barah Haath masterfully harnesses the power of cinema as a mass medium for social reform and enlightenment. It is a story of a progressive jail warden determined to rehabilitate six dangerous convicts by placing trust in their inherent humanity. The film questions the scope of punitive systems and embraces the potential for personal redemption through empathy and reform. Set in the context of a newly independent India, the narrative mirrors the nation's own struggle with social transformation and the pursuit of a moral framework that balances authority with compassion and justice.
The year 1957 was a watershed moment for Indian cinema, with socially conscious films like Mother India, Naya Daur, Pyaasa, and Do Aankhen Barah Haath dominating both box offices and public discourse. These films addressed critical issues such as poverty, modernising forces and justice, resonating deeply with audiences and reflecting the mood of a rapidly changing society.
Do Aankhen Barah Haath received widespread critical acclaim, winning the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, and Samuel Goldwyn International Film Award at the Golden Globe Awards.
सन् 1957 का साल भारतीय सिनेमा के लिए एक मील के पत्थर जैसा था। उस साल रिलीज़ हुई मदर इंडिया, नया दौर, प्यासा और दो आँखें बारह हाथ जैसी सामाजिक जागरूकता से भरी फ़िल्मों ने बॉक्स ऑफ़िस और सार्वजनिक विमर्श दोनों पर अपना गहरा प्रभाव कायम किया। इन फिल्मों ने समाज को मथ रहे गरीबी, आधुनिकता और न्याय से जुड़े महत्वपूर्ण सवालों को आवाज़ दी और उस दौर के दर्शकों के आत्म के साथ एक गहरा तादात्म्य स्थापित कर लिया। इन फ़िल्मों की कहानी में एक गतिशील समाज के सामने खड़े सवालों की गूँज है, तो वहीं ये उसका मन भी पढ़ने की कोशिश करती हैं।
दो आंखें बारह हाथ को विश्वभर में आलोचकीय प्रशंसा मिली। भारत में इसे सर्वश्रेष्ठ फ़ीचर फ़िल्म का राष्ट्रीय फ़िल्म पुरस्कार मिला तो वहीं बर्लिन अंतरराष्ट्रीय फिल्म समारोह में इसने 'सिल्वर बीयर' तथा गोल्डन ग्लोब पुरस्कारों में 'सैम्युअल गोल्डविन अंतरराष्ट्रीय फ़िल्म पुरस्कार' जीता।
Body of Work
02:37 mins
04:16 mins
02:48 mins
05:09 mins
04:06 mins
Research Centre
Calendar 2
- ArchivedOffline-Online EventProject 80A Musical Glue for Nation-BuildingDeconstructing the Film Song23rd July - 22nd August 2026Ketan Anand | Ravikant | Pavan Jha | Madan Gopal Singh | Amit Khanna | Juhi Saklani | Antara Mondal | Shikha Jhingan | Neville TuliA key section of the India Studies framework at The Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) is “Deconstructing the Film Song”. It began with a series of four workshops during our Self-Discovery via Rediscovering India Festival Series that brought together leading scholars & academics, film practitioners & students, along with fans of the Hindi film song. The objective of these workshops was to deconstruct iconic Hindi film songs to examine their formation across music, lyrics, playback, choreography, directorial visualisation, as they fuse into sites where aesthetics, ideology, and performance intersect, so as to help clarify the nature of India and her relationship to the film song. The Hindi Film Song functions as a narrative device, conveying myriad textures of emotion through melody, voice and poetry. As cultural texts that encode memory, desire, and ideology, songs are integral to the circulation and resonance of films in the public realm. Over time they have become autonomous bundles of creative energy - the glue that binds us over time, articulating and perhaps even defining the idea of Indianness. These first Workshops were an attempt to understand the nature and power of this glue, while contemplating the ways to situate it within TRIS' academic framework for Contemporary India Studies.Read More →
- ArchivedExhibitionProject 8Self Discovery via Rediscovering India Series Part V Mahatma Gandhi25th April 2025as part of the Rediscovering India via Self-Discovery Exhibition Series Part VRead More →
Related
1
Personalities
1
