Cast
Kamini Kaushal Uma Anand Rafiq Anwar
Credits
Written by: Hayatulla Ansari
Plot
In a low-lying town, the poor inhabitants of the slum depend on a stream for water, but a rich landlord, Sarkar, builds a sewer that sends dirty water down to them, spreading disease. When his own niece and the slum dwellers' community unite under a young activist, the poor decide to resist. Chetan Anand's 1946 film, influenced by Gorky and neorealism, was the first Indian film to win the top prize at Cannes and remains a landmark of social cinema.
Sinekatalog’s take
Chetan Anand's drama shows slum dwellers whose water is poisoned by a landlord's sewer, until a rebellious niece and the people unite. Social-realist and idealistic, it won the Cannes Grand Prix in 1946 and is a milestone of Indian cinema.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.
Ratings
IMDb: 6.5 / 10 (323 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.
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Chetan Anand