Desh Premee
Desh Premee (transl. The Patriot) is a 1982 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by Manmohan Desai.[1] The film stars Amitabh Bachchan in a dual role as Master Dinanath, an ex-freedom fighter, and his son Raju, alongside Hema Malini as the female lead, with supporting roles by Sharmila Tagore, Navin Nischol, Parveen Babi, and Amjad Khan.[1] Produced under the banner of Desai's production company, it features music composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal, with lyrics by Anand Bakshi, including patriotic songs that emphasize national unity and anti-corruption themes.[2] The storyline centers on Master Dinanath's efforts to combat arms smuggling and corruption after arresting a powerful thakur, leading to personal tragedy and his relocation to a slum where he raises his son amid criminal elements.[1] Despite its commercial intent as a masala film blending action, drama, and melodrama—hallmarks of Desai's style—the movie received mixed critical reception, earning a 5.8/10 rating on IMDb based on user reviews reflecting its formulaic plot but strong performances by Bachchan.[1] It underscores themes of desh bhakti (patriotism) through Dinanath's unwavering commitment to national integrity, contrasting individual moral fortitude against systemic vice.[1]Production
Development and Pre-production
Desh Premee marked the fifth collaboration between director Manmohan Desai and lead actor Amitabh Bachchan, following their joint efforts on Parvarish (1977), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Suhaag (1979), and Naseeb (1981).[3] Desai envisioned the project as a patriotic action drama emphasizing national unity and familial bonds, drawing from his established formula of high-energy masala films that integrated emotional storytelling with spectacle.[4] The screenplay was primarily written by Prayag Raj, with dialogue contributions from Kader Khan and additional screenplay input from K.B. Pathak, aligning with Desai's preference for scripts that fused historical reverence for India's independence movement with contemporary moral dilemmas.[5][6] Pre-production encountered setbacks, notably the death of Bengali actor Uttam Kumar in July 1980, who had been slated for a key role, disrupting initial casting and planning.[3] Produced by Subhash Desai under a reported budget of ₹30 million, the phase focused on logistical preparations for dual-timeline sequences requiring period sets and action choreography, though specific location scouting details for historical reenactments remain undocumented in contemporary accounts.[7] These efforts culminated in principal photography commencing shortly after Naseeb's release, paving the way for the film's April 23, 1982, debut.[3]Casting and Crew
Amitabh Bachchan was cast by director Manmohan Desai in the central dual roles of Master Dinanath, an elderly freedom fighter, and his son Raju, adapting Bachchan's dominant "Angry Young Man" archetype from the 1970s into a multifaceted patriotic figure to exploit his unparalleled box-office dominance following hits like Zanjeer and Deewaar.[1][8] This choice underscored Desai's strategy of centering narratives around Bachchan while incorporating patriotic elements amid India's post-Emergency cultural shifts.[1] Hema Malini portrayed the lead female character Asha, Raju's wife, leveraging her proven on-screen rapport with Bachchan from prior Desai collaborations such as Naseeb, to provide emotional balance and romantic appeal in the multi-starrer ensemble.[8] Supporting actors included Shammi Kapoor as the antagonist Shamsher Singh, Parveen Babi as Dr. Preeti, Navin Nischol, Prem Chopra as the villainous Don, Kader Khan, and Amjad Khan, selected for their established star power and ability to attract family audiences, aligning with Desai's formula of packing films with recognizable faces to ensure broad commercial viability.[2][9] The technical crew featured cinematographer Peter Pereira, responsible for capturing the film's action sequences and dramatic visuals, and editor Mukhtar Ahmed, who managed the pacing of its extended runtime.[9][2] Desai produced the film under his own banner, emphasizing indigenous talent in core roles while relying on proven Indian technicians to maintain cost efficiency and cultural authenticity over imported expertise.[1]Filming and Production Challenges
Principal photography for Desh Premee commenced in late 1980 and extended into 1981, spanning locations in Mumbai and Delhi to capture diverse settings from period-era freedom struggle sequences to contemporary action.[10] The production grappled with significant disruptions, including the sudden death of Uttam Kumar on July 24, 1980, midway through filming his role as a veteran freedom fighter, which necessitated Sudhir Dalvi dubbing his dialogues in post-production.[3] Similarly, playback singer Mohammed Rafi, who recorded the title song, passed away on July 31, 1980, prompting the film to be dedicated to him and contributing to overall delays.[3] These fatalities, combined with multiple casting shifts—such as Shivaji Ganesan's exit, replaced by Premnath—led to rescheduling and a production described as having gone "haywire," falling short of director Manmohan Desai's typical efficiency.[3] Logistical strains arose from orchestrating expansive crowd scenes for Quit India Movement depictions and patriotic rallies, requiring recruitment of hundreds of extras via newspaper advertisements for key sequences like the climax.[11] Desai maintained a hands-on directorial presence, prioritizing practical stunts and on-location authenticity over emerging visual aids, which amplified challenges in action choreography amid Amitabh Bachchan's dual role demands and period reconstructions without modern effects.[12] Technical shortcuts, such as reusing background scores from Desai's prior films Suhaag (1979) and Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), reflected the pressures to complete shooting despite these hurdles.[3]Plot
Summary
Master Dinanath, a schoolteacher and active participant in the 1942 Quit India Movement against British colonial rule, exposes Thakur Pratap Singh's illicit arms smuggling operations that supported the occupiers, resulting in the antagonist's arrest on August 15, 1942.[13] In revenge, Thakur engineers the abduction and separation of Dinanath's wife Bharati and infant daughter Priti from the family, leaving Dinanath imprisoned and bereft during the final years of the independence struggle, which culminates in India's freedom on August 15, 1947.[13][14] Decades later in the 1980s, an elderly Dinanath reunites with his surviving son Raju and relocates to a crime-ridden urban slum dominated by four warring gang leaders.[15] There, Dinanath endeavors to locate and reunite with the now-adult Priti, who has become a physician searching for her long-lost mother Bharati, while Raju grapples with the pervasive corruption and moral decay in post-independence society.[16] Dinanath confronts these challenges by mediating conflicts among the slum dons and instilling patriotic ideals in the local youth.[15] The storyline resolves with the family's eventual reunion after overcoming Thakur's enduring vendetta and systemic injustices, as Dinanath's perseverance leads to the restoration of familial bonds and a symbolic victory against contemporary societal threats.[13][14]Cast and Characters
Principal Cast
Amitabh Bachchan played the dual roles of Master Dinanath, an elderly freedom fighter dedicated to patriotic ideals, and Raju, his rebellious younger son who initially strays but ultimately upholds familial and national values.[2][17] Hema Malini portrayed Asha, serving as a key figure in the family dynamics and romantic subplot intertwined with the protagonists' struggles.[2] Sharmila Tagore enacted Bharati, Master Dinanath's steadfast wife who anchors the emotional core of the household amid generational tensions.[18] Shammi Kapoor appeared as Shamsher Singh, a loyal comedic supporter aiding the central characters in their endeavors.[2]Supporting Roles
Shammi Kapoor played Shamsher Singh, a family elder whose boisterous presence added comic relief and reinforced the film's multi-generational family bonds, balancing the high-stakes action with lighter ensemble moments.[2] His veteran status complemented the leads, drawing on his established comedic timing from earlier hits to support the patriotic theme without dominating the central narrative.[1] Amjad Khan portrayed Thakur Pratap Singh, the primary antagonist whose smuggling operations of weapons and ammunition created central conflicts, propelling plot progression and highlighting themes of national integrity against corruption.[19] Khan's menacing delivery, honed from iconic villain roles, intensified the ensemble's dynamics by positioning the supporting villainy as a foil to the protagonists' unity.[2] Navin Nischol enacted Inspector Deepak Singh, a law enforcement figure integral to investigative subplots, contributing to the film's layered family structure across generations.[2] His role underscored the blend of veteran actors like Kapoor and antagonists like Khan with mid-career performers, enhancing the ensemble's realism in depicting societal challenges. Parveen Babi appeared as Dr. Preeti, a key secondary character whose arc intertwined with the family, providing emotional depth and bridging personal stakes with broader conflicts; notably, this marked the only film where she shared both paternal and sibling dynamics with Amitabh Bachchan due to his dual role.[20] Child actors depicted younger versions of characters like Preeti, adding innocence to the multi-generational appeal, though specific credits for these roles remain limited in production records.[16]Music
Composition and Lyrics
The music for Desh Premee was composed by the duo Laxmikant–Pyarelal, known for their prolific output in Hindi cinema during the 1970s and 1980s, with all lyrics written by Anand Bakshi.[21] The soundtrack, recorded in 1982 ahead of the film's release, incorporated orchestral arrangements featuring brass and percussion sections to evoke patriotic marches alongside melodic strings for romantic interludes, aligning with director Manmohan Desai's emphasis on integrating songs to propel narrative momentum and emotional resonance.[22] Playback singing featured established vocalists selected for their ability to convey the film's dual tones of nationalism and personal drama, including Lata Mangeshkar for tender, expressive tracks and Mohammed Rafi for rousing anthems.[23] Rafi's rendition of "Mere Deshpremiyo," for example, reinforces the protagonist's commitment to national unity amid familial strife, using choral backing to amplify communal patriotic motifs central to the story's moral framework.[24] Similarly, Lata Mangeshkar's "Jao Ji Jao Par Itna Sunlo" advances relational tensions through its poignant plea structure, blending folk-inflected rhythms with Desai's signature formula of music-driven plot progression and cultural evocation of devotion.[23] The composition process prioritized thematic cohesion, with Bakshi's lyrics drawing on everyday Hindi idiom to ground abstract patriotism in relatable scenarios, while Laxmikant–Pyarelal's scoring avoided overly experimental elements in favor of accessible, hit-oriented melodies that sustained commercial viability.[21] This approach reflected the era's industry norms, where duos like Laxmikant–Pyarelal relied on live studio sessions with session musicians to capture dynamic energy suited to on-screen spectacle.[25]Soundtrack Listing
The soundtrack of Desh Premee, released in 1982 by His Master's Voice (HMV) on vinyl LP (catalogue number ECF-2392338), comprises six songs with a total duration of approximately 34 minutes 46 seconds.[26][27]| Track No. | Title | Singer(s) | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jao Ji Jao (Par Itna Sun Lo Thodi Chudiyan Pehen Lo) | Lata Mangeshkar | 4:18 | Situational song featuring maternal advice.[21][27] |
| 2 | Mere Deshpremiyo (Nafrat Ki Laathi Todo) | Mohammed Rafi | 5:37 | Picturized on Amitabh Bachchan as a patriotic call to unity against hatred.[21][28][29] |
| 3 | O Bekhabar Bedardi | Lata Mangeshkar | ~4:30 | Romantic lament; includes lyrical references to reliance ("tu mera hi sahare" in context).[21][23] |
| 4 | Khaatoon Ki Khidmat Mein | Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle | ~5:00 | Picturized as a comedic duet dance sequence on Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini.[30][21] |
| 5 | Gore Nahin Sahi | Laxmikant Kudalkar | ~4:00 | Sung by music director Laxmikant himself, emphasizing inner virtue over appearance.[21][31] |
| 6 | Tana Din Dindana | Amit Kumar | ~5:00 | Upbeat track with rhythmic elements, used in a light-hearted scene.[32][27] |