Bollywood and Mitti

enrouteI
July 31, 2023

From ‘Teri mitti mein mil jawa..’ to the bottle of soil in the pocket of Bhagat Singh, Bollywood has integrated the idea of mitti into its fold since its inception. The mitti represents the auspicious ‘dharti maa’ nurturing its children with life and inspiration. The soil personifies the symbol of unity among the many Indians, with the portrayal of dialogues claiming that the ‘mitti ki raksha karna’ is the duty of every Indian. For a farmer, the mitti is his karm bhumi, which has been portrayed in Indian cinema quite interestingly.

The first thing that comes to our mind when talking about the relationship of Bollywood with mitti is patriotism. The idea of dharti maa emerged during the nationalist movement and was heavily popularised through poems, folk songs, and eventually into Indian cinema. The concept of romanticism in the patriotic movement involved the boasting of indigenous culture and creating a unifying feeling among the different individuals. One of these ideas is of the dharti maa. The word ‘maa’ itself establishes a familial relationship with the land of India. In the Indian culture, a mother is situated near god hence creating a feeling of devotion in the heart. Every Indian was encouraged to feel this devotion and responsibility to free it from the reigns of a foreign power. This emotion is beautifully captured in not only several movies on the armed forces and the freedom struggle but also in historical movies. There has been the portrayal of several scenes where a warrior takes a handful of soil in his hand and rubs it on his forehead, as an action of devotion to his motherland. This moment gives him the strength to protect his dharti maa and his people from the foreign powers on his land.

The foremost example of the relationship between patriotism and mitti is the story of revolutionary freedom fighter, Bhagat Singh portrayed in the movie, The Legend of Bhagat Singh ( 2002) and Rang de Basanti ( 2006). This is the story of mitti being a reminder of the atrocities of the British and of the responsibility to hold them accountable for it. After Bhagat Singh was executed by the British, a bottle filled with soil was found in his pocket. It is believed that this mitti was taken from the site of the Jallianwala Bagh incident. This incident had a great impact on the young Bhagat Singh who was enraged by the actions of the british. Bhagat Singh collect the blood-soaked mitti from Jallianwala Bagh in a bottle and kept it with him to remember the reason why he was fighting for the freedom of our nation. This movement is beautifully captured in the dialogue from the movie The Legend of Bhagat Singh, “ Aap namak ka haq adaa kijiye, main mitti ka haq adaa kart hu.” delivered by Ajay Devgan who plays the role of the revolutionary.

There is also a constant mention of mitti and dharti in movies that showcase the Indian army. The soldier is often seen talking about his duty towards his motherland, inspiring those fighting with him. He will refer to it as his mother who has raised him to be brave and fight for its integrity. One such powerful dialogue comes from the movie Border ( 1997), “ Shayad tum nahi jaante… Yeh dharti Sher bhi paida karti hai, Doosron ko mitti mein milani waali Sher.” giving a feeling of chills to whoever is viewing it. This feeling of the duty of a child towards his mother- dharti maa, is not something that was invented by Bollywood but is something that is felt by every member of the Indian armed force.

The discussion on patriotism and mitti will remain unfinished without the mention of the song ‘Teri mitti’ from the movie Kesari ( 2019). This song has rejuvenized the arena of patriotic songs filled with both sacrifice and the feeling of devotion towards the motherland. The lyrics are speaking on behalf of a soldier who is fighting for his county till his last breath. The chorus of the song goes, “ Teri Mitti Me Mil Jaawaan Gul Ban Ke Main Khil Jaawaan Itni Si, Hai Dil Ki… Aarzu. Teri Nadiyon Me Bah Jaawaan Teri Faslon Me Lahraawaan Itni Si, Hai Dil Ki…Aarzu.” the final wish of a soldier is to die fighting for his motherland and then, in the end, going back to his dharti maa. The song has a bittersweet feeling of meeting after a longtime separation and pain which hits every nationalist nerve in the listener.

The Indian cinema has also successfully been able to showcase the relationship of soil with a farmer. The mitti is a source of income for the agriculturists and any harm to it uproots their entire life. This is portrayed in movies like Peepli Live ( 2010) and Lagaan ( 2001). In both movies, the farmers are suffering because of the drought and have to fight for the protection of their livelihood. Lagaan is based in the colonial period when the government is charging extra dues even during a period of drought leading to a conflict eventually being solved through a match of cricket. Peepli Live on the other hand is a satire that highlights the problem of increasing numbers of suicides among the farmers due to the drying up of land. It must be remembered that these are only 2 examples among several movies on this topic. Despite the increasing problems of land for the agriculturists, they continue to worship their karm bhumi and also vow to protect it with their life.

Although the discussion here has highly revolved around mainstream Indian cinema but there has also been a rise in the number of documentaries and alternative cinema which focuses on the conservationist aspect of mitti. The soil which has constantly been a national symbol is now also seen as an element itself that has been damaged due to the progressive activities of humans. In a way, now the responsibility of protecting dharti maa is on every Indian by making sustainable choices.

The relationship between Bollywood and mitti cannot be easily broken off. It has played a huge role in not only creating a patriotic feeling but also drawing the audience. There have been discussions around the over-commercializing of this feeling as a way to lure people toward a narrative. Despite all that, mitti, as a word and as a feeling has become an integral part of Bollywood movies.

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