DO DIGHA ZAMIN (The name is inspired by Tagore’s well known poem dui bigha Jami)

Shambhu Mahato( Balraj Sahani) owns only two acres of ancestral land. This is eyed by the powerful landlord (Murad)who wants to build his factory on his land. Sambhu is dragged to court by the landlord with the false charge of unpaid debt. When Sambhu is about to lose his land, he takes a bold decision to find a job in Calcutta and pay back the unpaid loan. He leaves behind his aged father (Nana Palsikar), pregnant wife( Nirupa Roy) and son( Rattan Kumar). The latter has smuggled himself into the same train heading to Calcutta with Sambhu. In the city, the father becomes a rickshaw puller and son, a shoe shine boy. They have no one except a friendly ricksha Walla (Nazir Hussain), the sweet granddaughter (Naaz) of the basti owner(Raj Lakshmi devi). Every rupee is saved enduring great hardship. When his son takes to pickpocketing, Sambhu beats him mercilessly .But they are reunited when Parvati is knocked down by a car in her search for Shambhu.

The little family has lost whatever they earned to pay hospital bills. They return to the village only to encounter their land turned into a factory. Adapted from composer Salil Chowdhury’s story Rickshawala made in Bengali by Satyen Bose. Apparently Roy was urged to watch the Bengali film by his assistant Ritwick Ghatak.

Do Bigha Zamin remains Bimal Roy’s most celebrated classic. It has often been compared to De Si Ca’s Bicycle Thieves. Considered one of the 100 best films of all times, the film received standing ovations in London, Cannes, Karlo Vi Vary, Moscow, China.The songs ( by Shailendra and Prem Dhawan) have popular Russian and Chinese versions. Do Digha zamin (called Calcutta ville cruelle in French) received the President’s Silver medal in 1954 when the National awards was known as President’s award. P.K. Atre’s Shyam Chi aaye received the President’s Gold Medal.