When India gained her independence in 1947, and was partitioned into India and Pakistan, yavar Abbas saw his dreams for a United, free India confounded overnight. Himself a Muslim, he was brought up to believe that the social and political distinctions between Hindus a Muslims were imposed from outside for ends foreign to Indian social thought and history. Rather than live in an unnaturally divided homeland, he brought his wife- an English girl he married in 1947—and infact son to live in England.
Three subsequent films take Abbas back to his past, to places of his youth and early manhood: to lucknow, Allahabad University, the Indian Military Academy, to his brother’s Army home in Jhansi; to his long-lost sister in Patna. In these and others places, he sees something of the old familiar India, and not a little of the surprising new. Hs pilgrimage is linked to his own family, friends and experiences. “ India ! My india !” is one man’s story, one man’s journey , one man’s India.
”Eric Davidson in the Radio Times, March 31,1966
BBC Television ... .... .... .... .... ...... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... April 1966
BBC Television ... .... .... .... .... ...... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... November 1966 (Repeat)
Netherland TV ... .... .... .... .... ...... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... January 1967
Indian TV (Delhi) ... .... .... .... .... ...... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... March 1967
Credits
Film and Narrated by ... .... .... .... .... ...... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... YAVAR ABBAS
Additional Photography ... .... .... .... .... ...... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... Om Prakash, Jagdish,
Ramnik Lekhi
Music .. .... .... .... .... ...... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... S.D. Batish
PRODUCED and DIRECTED by .. .... .... .... .... ...... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... .... .... ..... YAVAR ABBAS
minutes 16mm
B&W sound,
Optical, Magnetic,
Combined or
separate
Face Film International Ltd.
16 Dean Road, Hounslow, Middlesex TW3 2EL U.K.
Tel/ Fax: 081-898 6328
“.... I was most impressed with it. The whole thing is quite an exhaustive treatment of Modern India. I was extraordinarily impressed by the fact that you have not glossed over anything and you have shown the good side, the bright side, the optimistic side as well as some of the remnants of the tragic aspects of India...... the main thing that strikes you, is its truth of observation and its sincerity, and I think it is very well shot. It is an excellent job of cutting too ; it has got very good pace, the right sort of pace for this sort of subject. And one of the most striking things about the film is its commentary which is so well written, so sparse, so precise and to the point, and nothing sort of over- blown or rhetorical—poetic, simple and, I must say, spoken extremely well by you.
And the contrasts..... I like this sort of contrast because I try to portray the same sort of things in my films. I like the old and new existing side by side and being shown to exist side by side.
And this is the one aspect of India that has always fascinated me, although I have restricted myself to Bengal and you have taken in quite an area.
Number one, I found most moving, number four most exciting, and there are some lovely things in numbers two and three too. I enjoyed it.”
From an interview recorded in Calcutta on 21st May, ‘67
“ ........ the greatest and most refreshing relief”
“ ........ beautiful and memorable shots.”
“.........beautiful poetic commentary full of originality and fertile ideas.”
“.........simple and moving music.”
The Times , London, April 13, 1966
“.......... combining the interests of travelogue and filmed autobiography it provides a clearer impression of a country’s development than many a fact-filled documentary.”
The Guardian, London, April 20, 1966
“ The film left a deep impression of being made with love and imagination.”
The Times of India, New Delhi, July 24, 1966
“ Few men have spoken so effectively in the first person singular as Mr.Yavar Abbas. He has deservedly won a reputation in the United Kingdom rivalling that of Satyajit Ray.
Het Vaderland, The hague (Netherlands), January 18, 1967
“..... a cut above the normal level of documentaries.”
Hagche Courant, The Hague ( Netherlands), January 20,1967
“..... an image of India in as sensitive and penetrating a way as only Abbas could have done....this dedicated film-maker.”
The Statesman, New Delhi, March 5. 1967
“......an authentic image of India one sees, not the garbled, distorted face that is presented to credulous viewers in the west.”
The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, March 7, 1967
“Abbas’s commentary is warm and personal with a naturalness that does not exclude an Indian sentimentality.”
The Sunday Standard, New Delhi, March 12, 1967
“..... Yavar Abbas, that gloriously committed film-maker whose intense reinterpretation of India to himself, makes four of the most vivid documentaries available.”
Shankar’s Weekly, New Delhi, march 12, 1967
“ The commentary is intelligent, witty and sensible. The film itself is full of the smells and sounds of this ancient, poor and diverse country.”
Times of India, Bombay, April 23, 1967
“........a film into which Yavar Abbas poured so much long pent-up love and emotion, such sincerity and sensitivity that only an exile can experience.”
Rangbhoomi, New Delhi, April, 1967
“....... a beautiful depiction of the hopes and dis appointments of the people of India.....The commentary is deeply moving and effective. There is no artificiality, pretence or propaganda in the film.”
‘ Ariel” in the Sunday Standard, Delhi, April 30, 1967
“.........a sensitive and moving documentary.”
The Current Weekly, Bombay, July 1, 1967.
“.....superb commentary, crisp, tightly written, devoid of pomposity and most beautifully spoken by Abbas himself.....reminiscent of Satyajit Ray’s films...”
Screen, Bombay, June 30, 1967.
“....both a sincere and spectacular study of this country....wonderful job of editing as well”
