Apna Desh (1949 film)

Mohini a Hindu Punjabi girl, is living with her family when the Partition riots break out. In the melee while her family escape their home, which now becomes part of Pakistan, and go to India, she is kidnapped and raped by some Muslim rioters. After undergoing several harrowing experiences, Mohini manages to come to India and locate her family. Her family and society is unwilling to accept her in their midst. Determined to get revenge on the society that has boycotted her, she becomes a smuggler and gets into the black-marketing business. She sends ammunition to Pakistan smuggled in crates that have music instruments. Mohini soon becomes involved with another refugee, Satish. When Satish is implicated in the smuggling racket, Mohini admits her role in the business and surrenders to the police.

• Pushpa Hans
• Umesh Sharma
• Chandrashekhar
• Keshavrao Date
• Manmohan Krishna
• Sudha Apte
• Krishna Goel
• Parshuram
• Satish Vyas
• Dewan Sharar

Shantaram made socially relevant films and in Apna Desh he dealt with the issues of abduction, rape and black-marketing during, and following Partition.[4] The film "predicted" problems like languages, black-marketing and corruption that India would face following the "newly acquired independepence".[5] In a searing indictment of the wrongdoers, the judge calls the black-marketeers "padhe-likhe daku, samaaj ke chor, azaadi ke lootere, desh ke dushman [educated thugs, thieves of society, looters of freedom, enemies of the state]", labelling them traitors or "desh ke gaddaar".[6]

The story caused a backlash of criticism from all the reputed papers and magazines and had to be eventually withdrawn from theatres.[7] Baburao Patel's Filmindia in the 1949 issues had readers writing in to ask for a ban on the film and calling it "Apna Trash" (Our Trash). The magazine referred to the fact that the film was passed by the censors due to Shantaram's initiation into the censor board by Morarji Desai, who was the then Home Minister to the Government of Bombay. The magazine also hinted at the story being given the finishing touch by Desai.[8] However, Apna Desh is cited as a film of "exceptional merit"[9] and one of Shantaram's successful films.[10]

Shantaram's other two socials completing his trilogy of socially relevant films during this phase were, Surang (1953) on quarry workers, and Teen Batti Char Rasta (1953) "advocating harmony" among the different states and religions of India.[11]

Telugu and Tamil versions of the film were also released, called Nam Naadu (1949).[12][13]

• Apna Desh (1949 film) at IMDb
• Songs Audio at Surjit Singh Apna Desh songs