Bollywood Films That Must Be Seen By Western Audiences

Published on July 11, 2019 By James Spiro

Mother India (1957)

This epic Indian drama featured classic Bollywood stars like Nargis, Sunil Dutt, and Rajendra Kumar. Newlywed Radha is struck by tragedy and decided to go on an adventure to battle her enemies and retrieve her honor.

By the end of the film, Radha has become a symbol for India’s pride as an old culture, but also one that embraces newfound democracy. Mother India is unabashedly pro-female empowerment and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1958.