Power Of Farmers! How 5 Lakh Indian Farmers Came Together To Make A National Award Winning Film?

Shyam Benegal's 'Manthan' (The Churning) is a film released in 1976, and it was India's first and largest crowd-funded film. Instead of being funded by producers, this film was produced by Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. and 5 lakh farmers from Gujarat.

Each of the 5 lakh farmers contributed Rs 2 towards making this film.

About The Film

'Manthan' is a story of Amul and its founder, Dr Verghese Kurien, who is known as the "Father of White Revolution" in India. The film not only tells his story but also shows the struggles of the farmers in India and how they were treated. The film does a beautiful job of portraying the feeling of the rough conditions the farmers used to live in and how the people in power exploited them, as per IMDB.

In 1976, cinema halls across Gujarat saw truckloads of farmers crowding the halls. This was not because of the fact that the film was a commercial success, but it was because 'Manthan' was the first film that portrayed the life of a farmer realistically and believably to the world.

Effect Of This Film

The film tells how Dr Verghese pioneered the Anand model of dairy cooperatives, now employed by cooperatives nationwide. He was only 28 years old when he arrived in Anand in Gujarat in 1949. He then convinced the farmers there that only they own the milk that they produce, and no one else other than them has the right to claim ownership of their milk.

'Manthan' boasts an ensemble cast that includes Naseeruddin Shah, Gireesh Karnad, Smita Patil, Amrish Puri, and Anant Nag, as per the information on Wikipedia.

In 1977, the film won the National Film Award for Best Feature in Hindi and the Best Screenplay award. The film also inspired many cooperative societies in many states across the country to emerge in the dairy industry.

Also Read: Mid-Air Turbulence: DGCA Orders Probe Into SpiceJet Mumbai-Durgapur Flight incident, Reports Awaited