1967 film Upkaar : Manoj Kumar’s Patriotic Classic Inspired by Lal Bahadur Shastri’s Slogan

Upkaar (1967): Released in 1967, this patriotic film 'Upkaar' is included in every patriotic celebration even today. It is well known that this film was directed by Manoj Kumar. From the sixties till this day, the film is considered (Upkar 1967 Manoj Kumar debut) one of the most popular patriotic films of Hindi cinema. Upkaar was inspired by the slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'. This slogan was given by the then Prime Minister of India Lal Bahadur Shastri after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Shastri ji understood the importance of both soldiers and farmers in the progress of the nation and wanted a film to spread this message. During a special screening of Manoj Kumar's previous film 'Shaheed', (Upkar Jai Jawan Jai Kisan), Shastri ji personally requested Manoj Kumar to make a film on this slogan.

Upkaar Story: Manoj Kumar as Farmer Bharat’s Sacrifice

The story of Upkaar revolves around two brothers, Bharat and Puran, who live in a village. Bharat (Manoj Kumar) is a simple and kind farmer who sacrifices his happiness for the education of his younger brother Puran (Prem Chopra). Bharat works hard in the fields of the village and takes care of his family. Kavita (Asha Parekh), a doctor from the same village, is highly impressed by Bharat and falls in love with him. Puran is sent to the city to complete his studies but Puran becomes very selfish and greedy after being influenced by the city. Returning to the village, he wants to sell his part of the land and try to get rich quickly. Bharat does not approve of this division and shows his generosity and love for his brother by giving his own share to Puran's son.

Upkaar Story: Bharat Turns Soldier in 1965 War Drama

The story takes a new turn when the war between India and Pakistan breaks out in 1965. Bharat leaves his farming and joins the army to fight for the country, and his patriotism makes people realize that he is both a good farmer and a brave soldier. While Bharat is away, Puran gets involved in illegal grain hoarding and black marketing under the influence of his greedy uncle Charandas and his friends. But Puran soon realizes his mistakes when his greedy uncle tries to cheat Puran. Puran feels guilty and decides to surrender himself to the police. Meanwhile, while fighting in the war, Bharat is captured by the enemy army, but eventually he manages to break free from their clutches. But both his hands are chopped off by the enemy. Bharat returns home in an injured state with both his hands lost. The entire village welcomes him. In the end, Puran apologizes to elder brother Bharat for all his mistakes and the family once again unites to work on their farm, bringing meaning back to their lives.

Manoj Kumar played the lead role of Bharat in the film and it was this role that gave him the image of 'Bharat Kumar' that stayed with him throughout his career. Other important cast members of the film included Pran (Malang Chacha), Kamini Kaushal (Radha), Madan Puri (Charandas), Kanhaiyalal (Lala Dhaniram), Aruna Irani, Manmohan Krishna, David, Asit Sen, Tun Tun, Mohan Choti, Laxmi Chhaya, Sunder and Gulshan Bawra.

Upkaar Songs: Mere Desh Ki Dharti to Kasme Wade

The music of Upkaar composed by the famous duo Kalyanji-Anandji became extremely popular. The lyrics were written by Qamar Jalalabadi, Gulshan Bawra and Prem Dhawan. The song 'Mere Desh Ki Dharti' sung by Mahendra Kapoor is not only the most popular song of the film but is also considered one of the greatest patriotic songs of India. It is often played at national functions and is remembered for its deep love for the land and farmers. Other famous songs from the film include 'Kasme Wade Pyar Wafa' (Manna Dey), 'Gulabi Raat Gulabi'(Asha Bhonsle) , 'Har Khushi Ho Wahan' (Lata Mangeshkar) , Deewanon Se Ye Mat Poochho (Mukesh), Aai Jhoom Ke Basant (Manna Dey, Mahendra Kapoor, Asha Bhosle, Shamshad Begum), Yeh Kaali Raat Kaali (Mohammad Rafi) are very popular (Upkar patriotic Hindi film).

The making of Upkaar was an interesting journey filled with challenges and many memorable events. This was Manoj Kumar's first film as a director. In fact, after watching the film 'Shaheed', Lal Bahadur Shastri had one day requested Manoj Kumar to make a film on farmers along with soldiers. Soon after meeting Shastri ji, Manoj Kumar started writing the script of Upkaar while travelling in a train from Delhi to Mumbai. He wanted to complete the script as soon as possible. The film was shot in many real villages, (Upkar Mere Desh Ki Dharti song) especially Nangal Thakran near Delhi and Atali village in Ballabhgarh, Haryana. The fields, small houses and bullock carts shown in the film belonged to those villagers. Manoj Kumar had told that the entire village was very helpful and cooperative with the production team. 'Mere Desh Ki Dharti' was filmed on real farms. (Upkar nationalistic Bollywood classic)

Upkaar Behind the Scenes: Villagers Helped the Shoot

Many behind-the-scenes stories have been shared about the filming experience. There was no provision for accommodation in the village, there were no toilets or bathrooms, so the entire team stayed in a hotel in Delhi and went to the village every morning for shooting. But when some night scenes had to be shot, all the stars had to stay in the village, including Asha Parekh. (Upkar Asha Parekh role) The local villagers arranged for temporary bathrooms and toilets for them and cooked food for everyone. They also lent their bullock carts and animals for the shooting. The elderly villagers still remember how Manoj Kumar was very particular about every shot and often insisted on multiple retakes until he got the desired expression on screen. According to the locals (who were teenagers at the time), it took several attempts to get the camera movements right for shooting the famous field scenes. Manoj Kumar's knack for perfection was reflected in the final result. The items used in the film are still preserved by the villagers.

Another lesser known fact about the film is that the famous actor Rajesh Khanna was initially signed to play the role of Puran. But suddenly Rajesh Khanna started getting heroic roles in other films and he left the side role. Then the role went to Prem Chopra. Actually Shashi Kapoor was also offered the role of Puran but later Manoj Kumar himself refused, thinking that Shashi Kapoor's hero image would be affected if he played the villain.

Upkaar Role: Pran Shines as Malang Chacha in Classic

The role of Malang Chacha played by Pran marked a new beginning in his acting career. Pran was mostly known for playing villainous roles in those days, but with Upkaar he turned to strong and positive character roles. His dialogue "Ration pe bhashan bahut milti hai, par bhashan pe ration koi nahi deta", became very famous during the period when India was struggling with food crisis and rationing. Pran's performance as Malang Chacha is considered one of the best supporting roles in Hindi cinema.

Asha Parekh who played Dr. Kavita was very happy with her role as she wanted to become a doctor since childhood. In Upkaar, through her character she talks to the village women  about family planning, which was a bold subject at that time. In those days it was considered controversial to talk about social issues like family planning welfare in films, but Upkaar dealt with it with sensitivity.
The technical team of the film also contributed significantly to its success. The producers were Harikishan Mirchandani, R.N. Goswami. Cinematography was handled by V.N. Reddy. Editing was done by Shambhu Sen. The sets depicted the real life of Indian villages - mud houses, hand-made ploughs, oxen and the simple but hardworking life of the Indian farmer.

Upkaar Filmfare Award Winner and 1967 Box Office Hit

Upkaar broke box office records upon release and became the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1967. It received several awards, (Upkar Filmfare award winning movie) including the National Film Award for the second best feature film. Manoj Kumar won the prestigious Filmfare Award for Best Director for his work in the film. The impact of the film was so deep that it was later remade in Telugu as 'Padipanthalu' in 1976.

There are many other unknown stories and interesting facts related to Upkaar. For instance, Manoj Kumar's real name is Harikrishna Giri Goswami. He changed his name after being inspired by actor Dilip Kumar, whose real name was Muhammad Yusuf Khan. Harikrishna Giri Goswami adopted his screen name Manoj Kumar after watching the film 'Shabnam', in which Dilip Kumar's character was named Manoj. The pain of the partition of India had a profound effect on Manoj Kumar's life and this effect was reflected in his films, including 'Upkaar'.

Upkaar 1967 Hit Song Kasme Wade Changed Pran’s Image

Kalyanji Anandji was upset with Manoj Kumar for filming the song "Kasme Wade Wafa" on Pran. He felt that Manoj was wasting a good song on a villain. But the song turned (Upkar 1967 box office hit) out to be a huge hit and helped Pran get rid of his villainous image.

The legendary singer Shamshad Begum sang for the last time for this film.

With this film, Manoj Kumar put an end to Asha Parekh's habit of frowning during emotional scenes.

Some scenes of the film were shot at Rajkamal Kalamandir, Kamal Studio, Guru Dutt Films and Mehboob Studio in Mumbai.

After the success of Upkaar, Manoj Kumar continued his journey as a director and actor and gave other patriotic hits like Purab Aur Paschim, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, and Kranti. Upkaar set a new standard for socially (Upkar Pran positive role) relevant and patriotic cinema in India and had a profound impact on the way national themes were presented in films.

FAQs

1. What is the story of the 1967 film Upkaar?
   Upkaar tells the story of Bharat (Manoj Kumar), a patriotic farmer-soldier who sacrifices for his family and nation, embodying the famous slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan.”

2. Who directed and starred in Upkaar?
   The film was directed by Manoj Kumar, who also played the lead role. It featured Asha Parekh, Prem Chopra, Pran, and Aruna Irani.

3. Which famous song is associated with Upkaar?
   “Mere Desh Ki Dharti,” sung by Mahendra Kapoor, became one of the most iconic patriotic songs in Indian cinema.

4. Did Upkaar win any Filmfare Awards?
   Yes, the film won several awards, including Best Story (Manoj Kumar), Best Music (Kalyanji-Anandji), and Best Lyricist (Gulshan Bawra).

5. Why is Manoj Kumar called ‘Bharat Kumar’?
   After the success of Upkaar and its patriotic themes, Manoj Kumar was fondly nicknamed ‘Bharat Kumar.’

6. Why is Upkaar trending in 2025?
   The film is trending because 2025 marks 58 years of its release, and patriotic days like Independence Day and Republic Day often revive interest in “Mere Desh Ki Dharti.”

7. Is Upkaar available on OTT platforms now?
   Yes, Upkaar can be streamed on platforms like Amazon Prime Video and ShemarooMe, especially around national holidays when demand rises.

8. Has “Mere Desh Ki Dharti” from Upkaar been recreated recently?
   Yes, the song has seen multiple modern renditions, the most recent one being shared widely on YouTube and Instagram reels around Independence Day 2024–25.

9. What makes Upkaar relevant for today’s generation?
   The film’s focus on farmers, soldiers, and national pride resonates strongly in 2025, especially as issues of rural India and patriotism remain socially relevant.

10. How is Upkaar celebrated in Indian cinema retrospectives?
    In 2025, film festivals and Doordarshan’s classic reruns are featuring Upkaar as part of special screenings dedicated to Manoj Kumar’s patriotic films.

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