indian cinema heritage foundation

Janma Bhoomi (1936)

  • Release Date1936
  • GenreSocial
  • FormatB-W
  • LanguageHindi
  • Shooting LocationThe Bombay Talkies' Studios, Malad
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Protima is happy in her t houghts about her marriage with Ajoy. Mr. Gupta, her father, has given his whole hearted consent to the marriage . Ajoy is independent  and  is deeply  i n  love with  Protima .

Ajoy  is  at the death ,bed of  his friend, Premananda.  Premananda  had given up  his career  in  the city and  lived   in   the   village   dedicating   his  life   to   the service  of  his   "Janma  Bhoomi."

The dying words  of Premananda make  a  great  impression  upon  Ajoy. He takes up  his unfinished  work. Ajoy  cannot  forget  his  love  for  Protima,  but  he  will not  marry  her. He has no  right  to ask  Protima  to  undergo  the hardship of  the  village!

Ajoy throws himself headlong  into  the  work.  His sincerity and earnestness inspire  the villagers,  and they  begin  to  rally round him.

Sanatan the Zemindar's Gumashta ,  Monilal the Money lender,  Bhava na nda the Priest , and Vishnu the Kaviraj' conspire to keep Paresh, the weak minded Zemir.dar of  the Yillage, out  of  Ajoy's  influence,  and  to stop the  growth  of   the villagers'  faith in  his work.

Zemindars have their lands, and the peasants too have theirs. If the modern ideas prevail , the Zemindars and the peasants will prosper, but what will be the  lot of  Sanatans, Monilals,  Bhavanandas  and Vishnus  who  thrive  by  exploiting  the Zeminda rs  and  the  peasants ?

Protima anxious to prove to Ajoy that  she  too  could  undergo  hardships and work for an ideal, proceeds to the  village,
Ajoy and his followers are filling up the unhealthy water, pools of the village. As they  work  they  sing to  the Motherland , and their high  spirit  pervades the  village   and   the  countryside.

As Protima approaches the village, she can hear Ajoy's voice lead ing the chorus.

The Zemindar, under the influence of Sanatan and his colleagues, leads his men to stop Ajoy's work. Protima having reached  the  village  comes  to  meet Ajoy. Vishnu  Kaviraj  angered  by  Aioy's  refusal: to  stop work,  aims  a  stone  at hi m. Protima rushes forward to warn Ajoy and is hit.  The  unexpected  development  frightens  the  Zemindar  and  his  party  who  take  to  their heels.

The Zem indar who always suffered from heart disease has a fresh attack after the   incident. Sanatan   and   his colleagues are also nervous. They are afraid of a pol ice case.

But Ajoy does not retaliate.  He will yet win over those who still oppose him.

Sanatan from now onward decides to employ under-hand means to defeat Ajoy.

Protima joins Ajoy and  the  work  gains  strength from  day to  day.   The villagers are electrified  with  a  sense of  awaken i ng. Protima and Ajoy are supremely happy.

Sanatan   invites  A joy   to  the  Zemindar's  house, The Zemindar  shows mock sympathy with Ajoy's work and gives him a donation of  Rs. 2,000/ -. Ajoy returns home   very   happy. Sanatan rushes to the police station and lodges a complaint notes worth Rs. 2,000/ -were missing from the Zemindar's home  since  Ajoy's visit there. The pol ice find the missing notes i n Ajoy's pocket and arrest him.

The villagers are shocked to hear about Ajoy's arrest.  They will have nothing to do with a thief. They are simple village folk. They do not wish to be initiated into the ways of the educated who cannot be trusted.

Those who once worshipped Ajoy are now ready to throw stone at him. The great edifice which Ajoy was building up is crumbling down. Ajoy must be reinstated in the heart of the villagers.  His sacred work must be saved.  Protima will dare anything sacrifice everything to achieve it.

Sanatan's plan is deeper still. He will disgrace Protima too. She had vowed never to marry. Her noble example had inspird other women of the village to do likewise. Protima must marry the Zemindar.

Sanatan and his colleagues ha d persuaded the Zemindar who was a widower to marry again. The marriage was fixed with Bhavatosh's   daughter; but Ajoy frustrated it by telling Bhavatosh: "Your daughter is  young.  The Zemindar is ailing and is old enough to be her grandfather. I will find a suitable husband for her." Sanatan will  take  his  revenge  on  Ajoy  by  making  Protima marry  the  Zemindar.

Sanatan comes to Protima full of mock repentance and lies! The Zemindar did not confide  in  him  his  real  intention  when  he  wanted  to   see Ajoy; that he can yet save Ajoy from the hands of the pol ice; but his work  cannot be saved unless  the Zemindar admits his treachery before the villagers; that the Zemindar  is weak where women  are concerned; and that by marrying the Zemindar Prot ima ca n make hi m admit everything.

Protima knows  that  freedom  without  his  work  will  be  worse  than  jail for Ajoy. Sanatan wins again. Protima gives her word to marry the Zemindar.

Sanatan proves his sincerity to Protima by contriving Ajoy's release.

Inspite of Ajoy's protests, Protima comes to the Zemindar's house and takes her seat by the sacred fire.  But her strength fails her when she is asked to take the vow. The Zemindar's weak heart cannot stand the shock. He collapses.

As the Zemindar feels he is dying, realization comes to him of all the wrongs he had done to Protima and Ajoy. He asks them to forgive him and bequeaths his entire property for the good of the villagers.

Ajoy   was a doctor and under his careful treatment and Protima 's devoted  nursing the Zemind ar begins to i mprove .

Sanatan refusing to be defeated, kills the Zemindar by mixing poison i n his medicine, and gets both Protima and Ajoy arrested  for murder.

But the Chemist tells that it was Sanatan who had purchased the poison.

Their innocence established Ajoy and Protima are now ha i led back by the villagers who had lost fait h in them.

The village and the   countryside resound once again with the voices of men, women and children to the praise of their JANMA BHOOMI.

[From the official press booklet]