Sujata is a Hindi film directed and produced by Bimal Roy. It stars Nutan and Sunil Dutt in lead roles, supported by Shashikala, Lalita Pawar, Sulochana Latkar and Tarun Bost. Film based on a Bengali short story of the same name by writer Subodh Ghosh.  The film explored the situation of caste in India. A high caste Brahmin household adopts an orphaned lower caste girl, but when a young man from their caste wishes to marry her without knowing her lineage, caste differences flare up again. 

As a newborn, Sujata loses her parents to an epidemic and a well-meaning couple, who have a daughter just about Sujata’s age, decide to take her in temporarily. The father Upen, played by Tarun Bose, is kind towards the girl, and treats her like a daughter but the mother Charu, played by Sulochana Latkar, is well-aware of society’s rules that won’t let them accept the baby. Upen is a man of reason so he treats Sujata like another human.

Adheer falls in love with Sujata but Charu and Aunt want Adheer to marry Charu’s real daughter Rama. Sujata also admires Adheer but finding her reality of being an untouchable by birth feels at discomfort. One day, Upen’s wife falls down the stairs and is rushed to the hospital. The doctors tell the family that in order to save Charu, they need the rare group blood. Only Sujata’s blood matches and she willingly donates blood. When Charu become aware that her life was saved by Sujata, she realizes her mistake and accepts her as her daughter.

In a shocking scene, Lalita Pawar’s character holding baby Sujata in her arms but as soon as she learns of her caste, she literally flings the baby in another direction. A visiting upper-caste guest leaves their house because the family has a “neechi jaat ki ladki” in their house.

Sujata, played by Nutan, is a loving, uneducated, but smart girl who is the back bone of the Chowdhury family, working from morning till night, taking care of everyone’s need. She is what was once believed to be the “perfect girl” in Hindi cinema – the one who puts her head down and is nothing more than an obedient slave. Through various dialogues, it is evident that Sujata takes care of every little detail of the house and the family members, all while she is “beti-jaisi” and not the “beti.” When she learns that she isn’t the same as the family, she asks her adopted mother, whom she calls Ammi, “Main kaun hun?”, and her existential spiral begins. It is in moments like these that the awe-inspiring craft of Bimal Roy comes alive.

The charming Adheer, played by Sunil Dutt, and with his delicate looks and arresting personality, he wins over Sujata and the audience in a swooning second. “Tum mujhe itni achi kyun lagti ho Sujata?” he asks her as they sit on the banks of the river. All the poetry in the world is unnecessary when such simple words can convey one’s affection. The glances they exchange with each other in a crowded room, the romantic tension between them is executed in an unconventionally sensual way. As Adheer sings “Jalte Hain Jiske Liye” from a rotary phone and expresses his love, the heartbroken Sujata on the other end being fully aware that her caste does not allow her to participate in this love story. Many other popular songs, this one has the two lovers in different settings connected via a phone but the lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri turn it into one of the most romantic love songs and the filming by Roy makes the distance appear intimate.

Bimal Roy touched very sensitive problem of “Untouchability” through this film. He handled very softly and delicately, this sensitive subject. In the film the sadness of Nutan, the expressive eyes of Sunil Dutt, the chulbuli nature of Sashikala, Tarun Bose, Sulochana and superb performance of Lalita Pawar, each and every frame natural acting.

SD Burman’s music with songs like “Kaali Ghata Chhaye”, and the evergreen “Nanhi Kali Sone Chali” make Sujata a classic album. Songs like “Suno Mere Bandhu Re” make up Sujata’s world with the correct ambiance. Song sequence, “Bachpan Ke Din” introduces the grown up Sujata and Rama. Rama sings in a room, Sujata hums along from the terrace, without a roof above her head.

Film won Filmfare Best Movie, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Story Award. The film was India’s official entry into the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival in 1960 and nominated for Golden Palm.

Photos courtesy Google. Excerpts taken from Google.