Purab Aur Pachhim (East and West)

Date: 1970
Director: Manoj Kumar
Production Company: Vishal International Productions Pvt. Ltd.

Stars: Ashok Kumar, Saira Banu, Manoj Kumar, Pran, Nirupa Roy, Barbara Lindley, Shammi, Leela Misra, Kamini Kaushal
Location(s): Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, London, Oxfordshire, Paris, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh (India), Mecca (Saudi Arabia)

Region(s): , , , ,

Storyline:

A young man born and raised in rural India travels to England to study where he is shocked to find that the Indian population there shun India and Indians.

Additional Information:

Page compiled by Phil Wilkinson

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The classic production opens with archive footage accompanied by a narration. Har Ki Pauri on the banks of the River Ganges at Haridwar in Uttarakhand.

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India is the heart of eastern countries . . . Rajarani Temple at Bhubaneswar in the state of Orissa, Odisha since 2011.

Where knowledge was received from Buddha, Mohammad and God . . . Sri Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple, in the city of Amritsar, Punjab.

The entrance to the Golden Temple today provides a lower angled view. (SR)

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. . . and the holy books such as the Geeta, Bible and Koran. Abraham’s shrine at the Kaaba in Makkah al-Mukarramah, or Mecca, in Mecca Province of the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia.

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This story begins from those days when this country was a slave to the British Government . . . The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount in the the Bandra neighbourhood of Bombay, now Mumbai, Maharashtra.

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. . . but this country was awakened from its slumber. Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

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Allahabad in 1942, where, on a flooded street, two British Soldiers patrol as an upturned basked moves in the water, beneath which freedom fighter Om makes his way to see his wife Ganga.

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A few days after Om is betrayed by Harnam and shot dead by the British, the Teacher (Ashok Kumar) makes his way to see Ganga and her new baby, Bharat.

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Disgraced, Harnam (Pran Sikand) takes his son Omkar from his Wife's arms while she sleeps and flees.

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Three months since Harman disappeared, the Temple bell rings bringing Dada and other worshippers together for the film's first song.

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15th August 1947. After Independence Day happiness and wealth are achieved.

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In the present day, 1970 that is, Bharat prays with the Teacher and his Mother.

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A Passer-By is told by the Teacher that Bharat has travelled to Delhi with Gopi to celebrate Republic Day.

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Shamu (Vinod Khanna) and Bharat (Manoj Kumar) watch Gopi from a distance. Delhi Zoological Gardens on Mathura Road, Pragati Maidan in New Delhi with Purana Qila, the Old Fort, in the distance.

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Bharat talks to Gopi as Shamu is too shy to tell her that he loves her. Delhi Zoo opened on 1 November 1959.

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Gopi (Bharti) runs away with embarrassment when marriage is mentioned. Looking across Delhi Zoological Gardens in New Delhi with with Purana Qila in the right background.

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Before heading to London Bharat says farewell to his Teacher who hands him a copy of the Bhagvad Gita.

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Landing at Heathrow Airport, Bharat in met by his his Father's college friend G. P. Sharma in the terminal.

After being introduced to Sharma's wife Rita, daughter Preeti and hippie son Shankar, Bharat is taken into London. Piccadilly Circus in W1.

Not quite as eye-catching as the past city lights. Coca Cola is still there. SJ

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The seedier side of Western life is glimpsed.

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Whistling as he walks through the grounds of college on his first day, Bharat spots Shankar. New Building Lawns, Magdalen College, Oxford.

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Shankar (Rajendranath Malhotra) calls "Hello boy from India" and the pair shake hands.

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Cut to The Long Walk in Windsor, Berkshire.

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After pointing out the King's Palace, to Bharat, Mr. D. P. Sharma (Madan Puri) tells Preeti (Saira Banu) to ask what else their guest would like to see. The Long Walk in Windsor Great Park with Windsor Castle in the distance. Similar views appear in 'No Sex Please, We're British', 'Yesterday's Hero', 'Carry On Henry' and 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines'.

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Not understanding what Bharat requested to see to see, Preeti takes him to a party on a boat where he meets O. P. (Prem Chopra). In the background stands Tower Bridge crossing the Thames between E1 and SE1.

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Preeti introduces Mohan (Manmohan) and Christine (Barbara Lindley).

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Declining the beer offered to him, Bharat learns that none of the party Guests except Mohan have ever been to India.

At the back of the boat, Preeti borrows Lilly's cassette player. Vauxhall Bridge spans the Thames while Peninsula Heights and other high rise buildings on Albert Embankment SE1 fill the background.

Not quite on the Thames but from the walkway close to Eagle Wharf running alongside Grosvenor Road in SW1 looking north-east. SJ

O. P. watches Preeti gyrate to swinging pop music. The River Thames with buildings on Millbank, the trees of Victoria Tower Gardens and the Houses of Parliament crossing the background.

Again (see previous), this was taken without getting my feet wet from terra firma, the walkway close to Westminster Bridge looking south-west. SJ

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Along with other Guests, O. P. joins in the dancing. In the background stand the towers of the Albert Bridge which connects Chelsea with Battersea.

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Built in 1963, the vessel is the the Alpha Rose which just passed beneath the Albert Bridge,

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With the fun making Bharat feel uneasy, the party boat heads up river. The single deck Alpha Rose was later renamed Sarah Kathleen.

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That evening, Mohan stops outside his flat to drop Christina off before taking Bharat and Preeti home.

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Mohan asks Bharat to wait while he takes his girlfriend inside.

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Bharat is told by an Old Man (Om Prakash) that his daughter married Mohan five years before in India but never returned after coming to England four months later to study.

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Mohan's Father-in-Law asks where Bharat is from.

As the two walk together, Bharat tells the Old Man that he will meet with Mohan the next day. Facing Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery in WC2.

The stage is being set for London West End Live so the view of Trafalgar Square is compromised. SJ

"Every day I write to my daughter telling her not to worry, that everything will be fine. But I know that nothing will be fine." Charing Cross WC2 with Nelson's Column in the darkness to the left.

A little tricky but about here at the entrance point to The Mall. SJ

When he next meets his Father-in-Law, Mohan violently attacks him. Hyde Park in W1 with the Grosvenor Hotel at the corner of Park Lane and Mount Street beyond the Joy of Life Fountain.

The east side of Hyde Park. SJ

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At a greyhound track, O.P. asks his father Harnam which dog to bet on. The stand at Hackney Wick Stadium on Waterden Road in Hackney E20.

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The race gets under way as Harman tells his son that he has earned great wealth because of dogs. Hackney Wick Stadium on Waterden Road.

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Mohan urges number five on as the camera pans with the dogs. Hackney Wick Stadium on Waterden Road E20.

Bharat returns to London from college to find Mohan's Father-in-Law waiting. Euston station on Euston Road NW1.

Works going on to the left. SJ

Worried, the Old Man explains that Mohan is intending to marry the Girl he has been going out with.

The new building would have eliminated the former PO Tower so i stepped slightly to the left to include it.

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Across the street a line of Bhaktas chant "Hare Rama, Hare Krishna . . . "

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# Lovely! Lovely! Lovely! Didn't you know? I love you so, Didn't you know?" Rockley Sands Holiday Park at Poole in Dorset.

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At the resort they have travelled to, O. P. walks over to Preeti and remarks that Mohan is enjoying himself with Christina. The Tropicana Swimming Pool at Rockley Sands, Hamworthy in Poole.

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Continuing to read her magazine, Preeti walks away when O. P. asks her to marry him. The diving boards of the Tropicana Swimming Pool at Rockley Sands Holiday Park in Dorset.

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After Bharat intervenes, the wedding begins before Christine introduces Mohan's Wife and Son.

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At Heathrow Airport, Mohan, his Wife, Son and Father-in-Law say farewell to Christina and Bharat before catching their flight to New Delhi.

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Preeti travels to Bharat's college after he defends her following an attack by O. P. Looking across New Building Lawns at Magdalen College in Oxford.

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The camera moves to find Magdalen Tower.

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Seen through the windscreen of Preeti's car, Bharat leaves the campus.

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Preeti appears in the wing mirror as she opens the door of her Austin Maxi.

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The pair drive from the college.

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Cut to a nighttime view of the Arc de Triomphe in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.

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Beyond the Arc de Triomphe, Preeti and Bharat pass Pizza Pino at the corner of Avenue des Champs-Élysées and Rue de Marignan in Paris 75008.

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The Fontaine de Varsovie (Fountain of Warsaw) within the Jardins du Trocadéro in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.

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Les Jardins du Trocadéro with Daniel Bacque's La Femme facing the Eiffel Tower.

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Preeti gestures Bharat to move slightly as she prepare to take a photograph of him. The Jardins du Trocadéro with the Théâtre National de Chaillot across Avenue Hussein Ier de Jordanie in the left background.

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A Stranger enters the frame. Looking across les Jardins du Trocadéro towards the Eiffel Tower over the River Seine in the 7th arrondissement.

In an instant, we're whisked back to Britain. Facing St. Peter Street in Marlow, Buckinghamshire with the slipway into the River Thames obscured by the boats.

Note the more recent building across the river. (SR)

The camera pans right to find Marlow Weir on the Thames at Marlow. This stretch of the river can also be seen in 'Knock on Wood', 'Sailing Along', ‘Before I Wake’, 'The Sinister Man' and 1933's 'Three Men in a Boat'.

Marlow Weir seen from The Compleat Angler (SR)

The shot ends where Bharat is standing on the riverbank. Outside the Compleat Angler Hotel in Marlow, the entrance to which features in 'For Better, For Worse'.

A different look today with this comparison taken from Marlow Bridge. (SR)

Bharat looks down at Preeti as she puts the cigarette she was about to light back into the packet. Also seen in 'Before I Wake', the spire of Marlow's All Saints' church stands to the left.

All Saints' Church comes into focus 54 years later. (SR)

The pair look up when they hear music being played. The grounds of the Compleat Angler Hotel with Marlow Bridge crossing the River Thames to the top and the trees of Higginson Park beyond.

Garden furniture styles have changed so much over the years. (SR)

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Bharat joins in, teaching Shankar the correct words # Hail Lord Ram, Hail Lord Ram. Lord Ram and Sita are Pure. Lord Ram and Sita are Pure. Higginson Park in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

G. P. Sharma looks down from the nearby bridge. Marlow Bridge at Marlow in Buckinghamshire.

New building on the left, but the view on the right remains largely untouched. (SR)

The song continues. Higginson Park, Marlow with the Grade II* listed Court Garden House to the top right.

Some changes evident to Court Garden House, now an events venue. (SR)

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Passers-By join in as they watch the Shankar's Friend (Kuljit Singh) perform. The shore of the Thames in Higginson Park.

The River Thames at Marlow with the Compleat Angler Hotel on the right and Marlow Weir to the top left.

As viewed from Marlow Bridge. (SR)

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After Sharma proposes that Bharat takes his daughter to be his wife, Preeti laughs and dances with joy.

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Bharat turns to look at Preeti. We're back at the Jardins du Trocadéro in Paris, this time with the Chevaux et Chien sculpture by Georges Guyot in the right background.

Preeti runs through London. St. Paul's Cathedral on Ludgate Hill EC4 seen from Cannon Street. Similar views can be seen in 'The Fan', 'The Lavender Hill Mob' and 'King of the Underworld'.

There's more foliage about. SJ

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Leaving a floating restaurant, Bharat makes his mouth water as he explains to Preeti that food is Indian bread and spicy gravy, spicy mint chutney and pulses.

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The couple go for a drive as the Westernised Preeti becomes frustrated with Bharat's "Indian style".

Passing the Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace at the junction of Constitution Hill and The Mall in SW1.

Looking from the palace in the direction of The Mall. SJ

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Following the death of Shankar's Friend who was killed during a fight instigated by O. P., Harnam uses his race winnings to avoid police involvement.

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After breaking the news that he has to return to India, Bharat returns to college following Preeti's refusal to go with him. Looking from the bridge over the Holywell Mill Stream into Magdalen College, Oxford.

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Bharat sings about his broken heart. New Building Lawns at Magdalen College off High Street in Oxford.

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# Koi jab tumhara hriday tod de, Tadapta hua jab koi chhod de, Tab tum mere paas aana priye, Mera dar khula hai, Khula hi rahega tumhare liye, Koi jab tumhara hriday tod de (When someone breaks your heart, When someone leaves you tormenting, Then at that time beloved, come to me, My door is open, And it'll always remain open for you, When someone breaks your heart) . . . Looking across New Building Lawns towards New Building at Magdalen College.

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# Abhi tumko meri zaroorat nahi, Bahut chahnewale mil jaayenge, Abhi roop ka ek saagar ho tum, Kanwal jitne chahogi khil jaayenge (Now you don't need me, You'll find many lovers, Now you're an ocean of beauty, As many flowers as you need, they'll blossom) . . . New Building Lawns next to the Holywell Mill Stream at Magdalen College.

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# Darpan tumhe jab darane lage, Jawaani bhi daaman churane lage, Tab tum mere paas aana priye, Mera sar jhuka hai, Jhuka hi rahega tumhare liye, Koi jab tumhara hriday tod de, Tadapta hua jab koi chhod de (When the mirror starts to scare you, When your youth looks away from you, Then at that time beloved, come to me, My head is bowing down, And it'll always bow down for you, When someone breaks your heart, When someone leaves you tormenting) . . . Looking into the Great Quadrangle at Magdalen College.

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As the song ends, Preeti walks across the Great Quadrangle at Magdalen College, Oxford in Oxfordshire.

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Agreeing to stay wherever Preeti wants him to after their marriage, Bharat travels with his bride to India to take his families blessings. The University of Allahabad in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

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Preeti walks through the streets of Bharat's home town with his mother Ganga (Kamini Kaushal).

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Bharat takes Preeti on a tour of India # Kahin na aisi subah dekhi, Jaise balak ki muskaan, Ya phir door kahin mandir mein, Halki si murli ki taan (I've never seen a morning, Which is like a smile of a child, Or may be in a distant temple, A light tune played on a flute) . . . The bank of the River Ganges in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

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# Gurbani, gurudware mein, Toh masjid se uthti azaan, Aatma aur parmatma mile jahan, Yahi hai woh sthaan (A prayer going on in a Sikh temple, A call for prayer in the mosque, Where the soul and the supreme Lord met, This is that location) . . . Hemakuta Hill Temple at Hampi in Karnataka.

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# Dholi dhol bajana, Taal se taal milana, Dholi dhola, dholi dhola, Dholi dhol bajana, Ta ta thaiyya, tak tak thaiyya, Taal se taal milana (Drummers play the drums, Connect the tunes together, Drummers play the drums, Drummers play the drums, Dance to the tunes, Connect the tunes together) . . . The South Tower of Madurai Meenakshi Amman Koil on the south bank of the Vaigai River in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

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# Purva suhani aayi re purva, Purva suhani aayi re purva, Rituon ki rani aayi re purva, Mere ruke nahi paanv, Naach utha saara gaanv, Preet pe jawaani chaayi re purva, Purva suhani aayi re purva (A fresh easterly wind is flowing, A fresh easterly wind is flowing, The queen of seasons is here, My feet don't stop, The whole village is dancing, Youth has been spread on love, A fresh easterly wind is flowing) . . . Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa, or Jama Masjid, in Old Delhi, part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

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# Mausam ka musafir khada raste mein, O mausam ka musafir khada raste mein, Uske haathon sab kuch luta saste mein, Choti si umariya hai, Lambi si dagariya re, Jeevan hai parchaai re purva, Purva suhani aayi re purva (The traveller of weather is standing in the path, The traveller of weather is standing in the path, He has lost everything he had, In this young age, There's a long path to cross, Life is a shadow, A fresh easterly wind is flowing) . . . Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.

# Oye dholi dhol bajana, bajana, Oye taal se taal milana, milana . . . . (Drummers play the drums, Connect the tunes together . . . . ) The song runs to its conclusion as Preeti begins to enjoy herself. The Taj Mahal at Agra in Uttar Pradesh.

I've just realised my holiday snap taken this year is pretty close (SR)

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Views of Bombay are seen . . . here, Woodland Apartments on Peddar Road, now Dr. Gopalrao Deshmukh Marg Street, in the Cumballa Hill district.

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. . . as indicated by the B.E.S.T. buses in the background.

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A saddened Shamu tells Bharat that Gopi has become ill because she loves him and that she cried when the letter about his marriage arrived from London.

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After Gopi meets her father Harnam for the first time, the Teacher asks him why has he returned.

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Realising that there's more to India than she ever knew, Preeti makes her decision. Badrinath Temple in Badrinath, Uttarakhand.