Poster produced for Hindi feature film ‘Mother India’

Hindi poster produced for the film ‘Mother India’ released in the year 1957. A definitive cultural classic, regarded as a seminal film in Indian cinema, the movie was directed by Mehboob Khan, and starred Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Raaj Kumar and Rajendra Kumar. 'Mother India' metaphorically represented India as a newly indepent nation, alluding to a strong sense of nationalism and nation-building — the title, in fact, was chosen to counter American author, Katherine Mayo's 1927 polemical book Mother India, which criticised Indian culture. Released amid much fanfare, the film had several high-profile screenings, including one at the capital New Delhi attended by the country's president and prime minister. In contrast to the more iconic poster of this film, in this poster, Nargis is featured not as long suffering but as the avenging angel — seen at the centre with a gun in her hand, she is flanked by smaller panels on the right that feature Raaj Kumar and Sunil Dutt, and one on the left that showcases Rajendra Kumar.