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Yahudi

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This article is about a Hindi film. For the ethnoreligious group and cultural community, see Jews. For similarly spelled subjects, see Yehudi.

Yahudi
Directed byBimal Roy
Written byWajahat Mirza
Screenplay byNabendu Ghosh
Based onYahudi Ki Ladki
by Agha Hashar Kashmiri
Produced bySavak B. Vacha
StarringDilip Kumar
Meena Kumari
Sohrab Modi
Nazir Hussain
Nigar Sultana
CinematographyDilip Gupta
Edited byHrishikesh Mukherjee
Music byShankar Jaikishan
Shailendra (lyrics)
Distributed byBombay Films
Release date
  • 5 September 1958 (1958-09-05)[1]
Running time
170 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Yahudi (transl. Jew) is a 1958 Hindi-language epic romantic historical drama film directed by Bimal Roy. It stars Dilip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Sohrab Modi, Nazir Hussain, Nigar Sultana among others. It is based on the play Yahudi Ki Ladki by Agha Hashar Kashmiri, a classic in Parsi-Urdu theatre, about persecution of Jews in the Roman Empire in the empire's centre - Rome.[2] Although not very well received critically, the film was a big hit despite its alien theme, and was the third-highest grossing Indian film of 1958, owing to the box office draw of Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari.[citation needed]

The film's lyricist Shailendra won the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist at the 6th Filmfare Awards, for the song "Yeh Mera Diwanapan Hai",[3] sung by Mukesh.[citation needed]

The plot bears similarities to Jacques Fromental Halévy's opera La Juive.[citation needed] The story revolves around the life of a foster relationship.

Plot

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Ezra (Sohrab Modi) is a jeweller who has a son named Elijah. He also has a friendly butler/childminder called Emmanuel. At the beginning of the film, Ezra is due to leave on a trip. As he does, Elijah becomes upset and stands on the balcony. On the roads of the Jewish quarter, Brutus (Nazir Hussain), Governor of Rome, is passing, making an announcement. A stone slips from Elijah's hand on the balcony and hits Brutus on the head. Brutus immediately gets Elijah arrested, and as Elijah is a Jew, sentences him to death. Hearing this, Ezra rapidly returns and arrives at the doorstep of Brutus. He begs Brutus to free Elijah, but Brutus feeds Elijah to hungry lions. Ezra sadly returns to his house and mourns his son. Emmanuel sees that his master is almost catatonic. In revenge, Emmanuel kidnaps Lydia, motherless daughter of Brutus, and takes her to Ezra. Ezra snaps out of his catatonic state when the girl starts to call him father, and he refuses to kill her and instead adopts her as his child.

Brutus' anger brews. He orders the guards to find his daughter, and call for punishment of all Jews. Emmanuel helps him and Lydia escape the guards, who eventually break down the front door -- after which he tells them a tale about how he murdered Lydia and fed her to stray dogs, to which the enraged guards react by killing him. Ezra remains hidden and raises Lydia, who grows up thinking she is Ezra's daughter and that her name is Hannah.

Fifteen years pass and Ezra grows to become a successful jeweller, well known to be so good and a Jew. Hannah (Meena Kumari) grows into a beautiful young lady and attracts attention from many. The Emperor of Rome arrives in Rome for the marriage of his son Prince Marcus (Dilip Kumar) to Brutus' niece Princess Octivia (Nigar Sultana).

However, Prince Marcus avoids talking about his wedding and opposes it. One day, when returning from a hunting trip, he is injured and is cared for by Hannah. He then disguises himself as a Jew and goes back into the Jewish neighbourhood. He rescues Hannah from the unwanted attentions of a Roman soldier and meets her father, Ezra, not as Prince Marcus but as Moshe, a successful Jew from Alexandria. Ezra is happy to meet him and "Moshe" and Hannah fall in love. However, Hannah soon notices that something isn't right. Prince Marcus then reveals who he is, making Hannah very upset at his dishonesty, and she banishes the Prince from her life.

Then comes the day of the wedding of Prince Marcus and Princess Octivia. Everyone is invited. Before the ritual could commence, Hannah shouts that she had been cheated by a Roman. Ezra joins in to get back at his enemy Brutus. He clamours for justice. The Emperor demands the name of the culprit and Hannah claims it is Prince Marcus. Brutus tries to rebut Hannah and Ezra, but the Emperor insists that justice must be done. Heartbroken, Hannah returns home.

She is followed by Princess Octivia. Hannah sees the Princess at her doorstep and denies her entry. Hannah knew the princess would beg for the Prince's life. However, the princess tells Hannah that the Prince will be sentenced to death the very next day. Early the next day, without warning, Hannah takes Ezra with her to the Emperor. There she recants her accusation of the prince. She tells the Emperor that the man that cheated was not the prince but a look-alike. Ezra is shocked, and Brutus, filled with joy, sentences Hannah and Ezra to death. They are to be thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil that very day, in front of the Prince. Unable to bear that his beloved will be burnt in front of him, Prince Marcus blinds himself, then goes to the cauldron chamber.

Ezra is begging for Hannah's life, and Hannah is trying to reason with Ezra that she'd rather die than live a life of hate. But Brutus stops at nothing and wants the two to die. Immediately, Ezra tells Brutus that he knows where the Governor's lost daughter is. Brutus is confused and says that this is Ezra's revenge and accuses the Jew of lying. Ezra sarcastically agrees. Brutus still begs Ezra for his daughter's whereabouts and Ezra will only reveal it on one condition: Hannah is to be thrown into the cauldron as soon as Brutus finds out who his daughter is. Ezra tells Brutus and the confused Hannah that Hannah is Brutus' daughter and the Jew tells the guards to throw Hannah into the boiling oil. Brutus orders them to stop. Ezra looks at Hannah and dies. Hannah cries over her foster father's dead body. Brutus tells Hannah not to cry, but Hannah does not listen. She runs away from Brutus looking for the Prince. Shocked to find him blind, Hannah lends him support and helps him as the two disappear into the distance.

Cast

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Soundtrack

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No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Aansoo Ki Aag Leke Teri Yaad Aayi"Hasrat JaipuriLata Mangeshkar03:50
2."Aate Jaate"ShailendraLata Mangeshkar04:04
3."Dil Mein Pyar Ka Toofaan"ShailendraLata Mangeshkar04:30
4."Meri Jaan Meri Jaan"ShailendraLata Mangeshkar03:11
5."Ye Duniya Hai Hamari Ye Duniya"ShailendraMohammed Rafi03:24
6."Yeh Mera Deewanapan Hai"ShailendraMukesh03:46
7."Bechain Dil Khoyi Si Nazar"ShailendraGeeta Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar04:38
Total length:27:23

References

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  1. ^ "Yahudi". Times of India. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  2. ^ Meghnad Desai (2013). PAKEEZAH. HarperCollins Publishers India. pp. 44–. ISBN 978-93-5116-023-6.
  3. ^ Sharma, Ashutosh (11 September 2023). "Shailendra: Lyricist who found divinity in humanity". Frontline. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
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