Watan

Watan (1938)

Ostensibly a Central Asian war fantasy about a conflict between the Cossacks and the Tartars, Mehboob’s film proposes a tale advocating national independence. The Cossacks are oppressed by the despotic Russian king (Siddiqui) and his minister Jabir (Kayamali), who has Tartar blood in him. General Murad (Kumar) covertly sides with the opposition, gets arrested for treason and escapes. He meets the wild Gulnar (Sitara Devi) and gets her to spy as a maid of Princess Nigar (Bibbo). Nigar falls for Murad and Gulnar withdraws from the scene for the sake of her nation. Eventually Nigar, at the head of an army of women, helps defeat the villains.

Date of release
1938-01-22
TMDB
10.0 / 10 (1)
Runtime
2h 48m
Director
Mehboob Khan

Casting

Interesting facts

Watan (transl. Homeland) is a 1938 Indian costume drama film directed by Mehboob Khan. Produced by Sagar Films, the film had story by Mehboob Khan and Wajahat Mirza. The cast of the film included Kumar, Bibbo, Maya Banerjee, Yakub Lala, Sitara Devi and Kayam Ali. The story set in Central Asia, based on the De-Cossackization policy, involving the Bolsheviks and Cossacks with the Cossacks fight for independence which was a symbolic reference to the independence from British rule in India at that time. It also incorporated a romantic triangle involving Kumar, Bibbo and Sitara Devi.

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