Abstract
A silent film Bilat Pherat (1921) showed the tension between Indians living in India versus Indians returning from abroad. From the 1960s to the 1980s, only a handful of Indian filmmakers shot their films in international locations. One category of these films belonged to the ‘Holiday’ genre pioneered by Raj Kapoor ( Around the World in Eight Dollars and Sangam ), Shakti Samanta ( An Evening in Paris , The Great Gambler ), and Pramod Chakravarty ( Love in Tokyo ). Such films showed foreign locales as tourist destinations ( Jain 2019a ). Another genre of films dealt with more contested issues such as cultural Nationalism or immigration. One film that stands out in this genre is Purab Aur Pachhim . Purab Aur Pachhim (PAP for short), the East and the West, brought Indian immigrants to the screen. Fortunately for him, even with such a non-formulaic and unconventional subject, PAP emerged as the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film in 1970, 1 beating many other films with established plotlines, actors, and directors. Its underlying message, articulated primarily through its melodious songs and unique narrative about the Indian encounter with a former colonial ruler and emphasising the cultural uniqueness and superiority of Hindu culture, makes the film relevant for study even though 50 years have passed since its release.
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