Parakh (1960 film)

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This article is written about the 1960 film; for the 1937 film or the 1944 film, see Parakh (1937 film) or Parakh (1944 film) respectively.

Parakh portrays Bimal Roy's lighter side. He received the Filmfare Best Director Award.[1] The movie begins in a remote Indian village, wherein Bimal Roy seems to take his time in establishing his characters for the complex plot that is about to follow. The central character is the post master who is given a mysterious check for Rs.500,000 to be given to anyone who will use it to benefit the people of the village. There is the postman who pretends to be lame and is secretly rich and may have sent the check. Then the postmaster's wife who is sick and would rather he use the money to cure her illness and his beautiful daughter, played by Sadhana, who has a crush on the village school master. Meanwhile all the greedy and influential people of the village are busy trying to convince everybody why they are most deserving of the money, they include the village priest, the land lord, the money lender, the village doctor and the school master, who is by far the most respected. They all decide democracy is the best means and decide to hold an election where the winner gets the money. Who will win? and what about the person who sent the money?

This film has a very popular song "O sajana, barkha bahar aai.." and while not one of Bimal Roy's greatest works, is still considered one of his best. The film became a "semi-hit" at the box office.[2]