This 1963 black and white Hindi film Bidesiya tells the story of a love between a lower-caste girl and an upper-caste man set in 1960s rural Bihar. It depicts the struggles they face from the greedy uncle who tries to separate them, as well as themes of unemployment, injustice, and non-violent solutions as preached by Gandhi. The film featured memorable performances from actors Sujit Kumar and Kumari Naaz, with beautiful Bhojpuri folk music composed by S.N. Tripathi who also directed. It provides insights into customs and traditions of Bhojpuri culture through impactful dialogues written by Ram Murti Chaturvedi.

1. Film : Bidesiya (1963)
Directed by : S.N. Tripathi
Produced by : Bachubhai Shah
Story, Screenplay Dialogue & Lyrics : Ram Murti Chaturvedi
Story Idea : J.L. Sharma
Photography : Rusi Bilimoria
Playback Singers : Suman Kalyanpur, Geeta Dutt, K. Munshi,
Manna Dey and Mahendra Kappor.
Cast: :
Kumari Naaz, Sujit Kumar, Jeevan, Sheelkumar, Padma Khanna, Sadhana Roychoudhury,
Sulochana Chatterjee, S.N. Tripathi, Helen, Bela Bose, Sohanlal, Rani, Bagla, T.N. Sinha.
Synopsis:
Film is known for depiction of the aesthetic value of a tangible or intangible entity/s with visual
pleasures which turns the mind of millions to think. Rai Bhadur Bhikhari Thakur truly known as
‘the Shakespeare of Bihar’. A man who also known as ‘the Shakespeare of Bhojpuri Literature’
for his story telling techniques among the Bhojpuri folk.
The name ‘Bidesiya’ and ‘Pardesiya’ in Hindi generally used to indicate a person who left the
homeland temporarily fairway for job and survive the family and overall well-being. This black
and white film with a dip rooted visuals and sounds of the hinterland tells a love store between
upper-caste thakur and a low-cast chaudhary girl in the backdrop of 1960s which quite and
something unimaginable in new wave of Indian-regional cinema.
The film story goes like this the protagonist Bidesi Thakur (Sujit Kumar) is a son of upper-caste
zamindar who gave most of his land and also the entire life for the survival and upliftment of
low-caste families of his village before the death. And remaining land of bidesi is captured and
cultivated by greedy Uncle Chhote Thakur (Jeevan). It always seems in the film that both the
character hero and villain starts fight and struggle when a heroin enters in the life and same thing
happened here in the film too. A poor low-cast girl who works on Chhote Thakur fields and sells
the grass village market. Bidesi, who sells paan for a living and gradually meet Parbatiya (Naaz)
and falls in love, but in the intermission story turns slightly when zamindar’s henchmen spread
rumors about his daughter’s love affair and got heard by Parbatiya’s father pleads with bidesi to
leave the village to save his honour and pride and get daughter married soon. Bidesi left village,
went Banaras where he drives an ekka (horse-cart) for a living. Film again get reverse back gear
when Parbatiya’s father falls ill, he approached by his village friends and requested to returned

2. back to home. Before dying, Parbatiya’s father accepted his daughter’s relationship with Bidesi
and requested accept her as a better half. Story does not end here, now film climax comes into
play its role in high intensity part when angered uncle, who creates more hurdles for the lovers,
he shoots at Bidesi but Parbatiya come in the way and dies.
This film gives multiple angle to think like cast confrontation, unemployment, cheating and more
important to notice that the film also preaches Gandhian Philosophy to solve a problem by non-
violence efforts. When Thakur’s henchmen stops low-caste women from filling water from a
well, a Widow Bhabhi (Padma Khanna) does not allow henchmen to hit, instead, she offers water
from her well.
It begins with the song-1.Koi chhota nahi, koi bada nahi, koi oonch nahi, koi neecha; na darbe,
na darbe, na darbe ho zamane se na darbe ram and very melodious 2. Hansi hansi panva khiavle
bidesiya ki apna base pardes, kori re chunariya main dagiya lagai gaile ki mare re karejava
main tir ….many more kajri, birha song sung by playback singers like Suman Kalyanpur, Geeta
Dutt, K. Munshi, Manna Dey and Mahendra Kapoor and beautifully composed by S.N. Tripathi
who himself played a role of Daroga Babu (a Police Inspector).
Actor Sujit Kumar as Mr. Perfectionist who gave many hit films in Hindi as well and Naaz’s
spark and sizzling character maker perfect blender of love scenes and Padma Khanna as a
meticulous role like a village sarpanch and well meaning wife of the zamindar are memorable.
Even the dances are electrified by Helen, Bela Bose and Naaz provide perfection in Bhojpuri
folk music. Sonpur Mela, Sarnath and Banars ka assi ghat feels absolutely local location feels.
As this film was produced by Bachubhai Shah, a Gujarati and well-known music composer
S.N.Tripathi, was a director are known for many music hits in mythological and never
forgettable for Binaca Geet Mala’s of 1957.
Last but not the least, Ram Murti Chaturvedi, wrote, screenplay, dialogue and set lyrics for the
film which signifies that the man has deep knowledge about Bhojpuri local customs and
traditions that influence and scintillating dialogues like ‘Bhookha na jaane baasi bhat, neend na
jaane tooti khat, preet na jaane jaat kujaat’, ‘Aurat ke lagan aur marad ke aan badi mushkil se
tutela’, ‘lattu apne nahi nachat hai, eke lappet ke nachaval jala’ and ‘garib ke gaal par nishan
naa rahi to garib thode kahai’ and the ending ‘Bhed bhav ki kadi purani, chhod manuj mat kar
manmani’ makes how one can take film as a serious mass medium.
Sincerely,
Shashikant Bhagat
Communication Faculty,
National Institute of Mass Communication and Journalism (NIMCJ)
Ahmedabad – 380015.
Mobile-09726098398