Do Bigha Zamin (1953)

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This neorealist-influenced film takes up the plight of the Bengali farmers who live hand to mouth through cycles of drought and flood. Shambhu is a small farmer who, unlike most others in his village, owns his own land. This land is in the way of a big development project and the contractor… More This neorealist-influenced film takes up the plight of the Bengali farmers who live hand to mouth through cycles of drought and flood. Shambhu is a small farmer who, unlike most others in his village, owns his own land. This land is in the way of a big development project and the contractor pressures him to sell by demanding payment of a debt. To raise the necessary money, he and his son go to Calcutta. They descend into the corrupt maw of the teeming city, taking menial jobs and suffering abuse at every turn. When they aren't earning enough money, the son turns to crime. Shambhu catches him and they have a falling out. Meanwhile, his wife, agitated with worry, decides to come to the city to hunt for them. Lost and confused in Calcutta, she's run over and put in the hospital. Her husband finds her there, the son repents, and the family unit is restored. Defeated, they head back to the village only to see the factory already built on their land. ~ Brian Whitener, Rovi