Bertrand Russell, the eminent mathematician, philosopher, social critic and political activist has probably made only one cameo in a film and that’s in a courageously message oriented, anti-war Hindi film made in 1967 titled AMAN.The film is about a young Indian doctor who after receiving his medical degree from London, wishes to go to Japan to help the nuclear attack victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He goes there against his father’s wish and devotes his short life towards treating the patients suffering in a very terrible state. After a while he himself becomes the victim of nuclear reactions and his untimely death turns him into a martyr both in Japan and among his own countrymen back in India.
A rather lesser known film made on world peace directed by Mohan Kumar, AMAN is a unique and worth appreciating kind of attempt made without caring about the box office returns, which has honestly become a very rare feature in our Indian films in the present times. And since the project was being made with such a noble intentions having a strong message against all the nuclear arms developed by the major nations of the world, Bertrand Russell agreed to feature in it for a scene as he himself was actively working against the serious issue since long.
In this particular scene, the young doctor played by Rajendra Kumar meets the Nobel Prize winner one to one and listens to his few words of wisdom on world peace. Bertrand Russell begins talking about the same in English but then sadly a Hindi explanation takes over his voice to make the message clear to the Indian audience.
Produced & Directed by Mohan Kumar, AMAN featured Rajendra Kumar, Chetan Anand, Balraj Sahni, Saira Banu, Om Prakash, Sajjan and many foreign artists too in the supporting cast. Shot mostly in the foreign locations it had cinematography by Radhu Karmakar, music by Shankar Jaikishen and lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri, Shailendra & Prem Dhawan (writing a special poem for Hiroshima Museum sequence in the film).
Since the main protagonist unfortunately dies in the climax, the film ends on the shot of his body being cremated and Mohd. Rafi singing three lines with a message to live with love and harmony. As a humble tribute I have tried to complete the verse with a fourth line addition hoping that our future is more peaceful than the past and we would not commit the same ugly mistakes ever again in the coming decades.
"Yeh Nafrat Ke Zazbon Mein Hargiz Na Behna,
Meri Baat Sun Lo Galey Mil Ke Rehna,
Jalti Chita Se Yeh Aawaz Aayi,
Meri Maut Pe Sabko Itna Hi Kehna"
HIS BLESSINGS
Tags :
Nobel Prize winner BERTRAND RUSSELL in a hindi film, Bertrand Russell and Aman (1967), Bertrand Russell & Rajendra Kumar, Rare Bollywood Facts by Bobby Sing, Exclusive Bollywood Trivia by Bobby Sing, Unknown Bollywood Facts at bobbytalkscinema.com, Articles on rare unknown facts of Hindi Films by Bobby Sing
