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By:

Rajeev Puri

24 October 2024 at 5:11:37 am

Before Sholay, there was Mera Gaon Mera Desh

When the comedian and television host Kapil Sharma recently welcomed the veteran screenwriter Salim Khan onto his show, he made a striking claim. India, he joked, has a national bird and a national animal; it ought also to have a national film. That film, he suggested, would surely be Sholay. Few would quarrel with the sentiment. Released in 1975 and directed by Ramesh Sippy,  Sholay  has long been treated as the Everest of Hindi popular cinema -quoted endlessly, revisited by generations and...

Before Sholay, there was Mera Gaon Mera Desh

When the comedian and television host Kapil Sharma recently welcomed the veteran screenwriter Salim Khan onto his show, he made a striking claim. India, he joked, has a national bird and a national animal; it ought also to have a national film. That film, he suggested, would surely be Sholay. Few would quarrel with the sentiment. Released in 1975 and directed by Ramesh Sippy,  Sholay  has long been treated as the Everest of Hindi popular cinema -quoted endlessly, revisited by generations and dissected by critics. In 2025, the film marked its 50th anniversary, and the release of a digitally restored, uncut version introduced the classic to a new generation of viewers who discovered that its mixture of revenge drama, western pastiche and buddy comedy remains curiously durable. The film’s influences have been debated almost as much as its dialogues – from scenes taken by the Spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone, particularly ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ (1968) or to the narrative architecture of ‘Seven Samurai’ (1954) by Akira Kurosawa. Others note echoes of earlier Hindi films about bandits and frontier justice, such as ‘Khotey Sikke’ (1973) starring Feroz Khan. Yet, rewatching ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh,’ directed by Raj Khosla, one cannot help noticing how many of the narrative bones of  Sholay  appear to have been assembled there first. Released in 1971,  Mera Gaon Mera Desh  was a major hit at the box office, notable for holding its own in a year dominated by the near-hysterical popularity of Rajesh Khanna. The thematic framework of the two films is strikingly similar. In  Sholay , the retired policeman Thakur Baldev Singh recruits two petty criminals - Jai and Veeru - to help him avenge the terror inflicted upon his village by the bandit Gabbar Singh. In  Mera Gaon Mera Desh , the set-up is not very different. A retired soldier, Jaswant Singh, seeks to protect his village from a ruthless dacoit and enlists the help of a small-time crook named Ajit. Even the villain’s name seems to echo across the two films. In Khosla’s drama, the marauding bandit played by Vinod Khanna is scene-stealing performance is called Jabbar Singh. In  Sholay , the outlaw who would become one of Indian cinema’s most memorable antagonists was Gabbar Singh. There is an additional irony in the casting. In  Mera Gaon Mera Desh , the retired soldier Jaswant Singh is played by Jayant - the real-life father of Amjad Khan, who would later immortalise Gabbar Singh in  Sholay . The connective tissue between the two films becomes even clearer in the presence of Dharmendra. In Khosla’s film he plays Ajit, a charming rogue who gradually redeems himself while defending the village. Four years later, Dharmendra returned in  Sholay  as Veeru, a similarly exuberant petty criminal whose courage and irrepressible humour make him one half of Hindi cinema’s most beloved buddy duo alongside Amitabh Bachchan as Jai. Certain visual motifs also appear to have travelled intact. In Khosla’s film, Ajit finds himself bound in ropes in the bandit’s den during a dramatic musical sequence. A similar image appears in  Sholay , where Veeru is tied up before Gabbar Singh while Basanti performs the now famous song ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan.’ Other echoes are subtler but just as suggestive. Ajit’s pursuit of the village belle Anju, played by Asha Parekh, anticipates Veeru’s boisterous attempts to woo Basanti, portrayed by Hema Malini. Scenes in which Ajit teaches Anju to shoot recall the flirtatious gun-training sequence between Veeru and Basanti that became one of  Sholay ’s most cherished moments. Even the famous coin motif has a precedent. Ajit frequently tosses a coin to make decisions - a flourish that would later appear in  Sholay , where Jai’s coin toss becomes a running gag. Perhaps most intriguingly, the endings of the two films converge in their original form. In  Mera Gaon Mera Desh , the villain is ultimately killed by the hero. The uncut version of  Sholay  reportedly ended in a similar fashion, with Gabbar Singh meeting his death at the hands of Thakur Baldev Singh. However, censors altered the climax before the film’s 1975 release, requiring that Gabbar be handed over to the police instead. All this does not diminish  Sholay . Rather, it highlights the alchemy through which cinema evolves. The scriptwriting duo Salim–Javed took familiar ingredients and expanded them into a grander narrative populated by unforgettable characters and stylised action. On the 55 th  anniversary of  Mera Gaon Mera Desh , Raj Khosla’s rugged western deserves a renewed glance as the sturdy foundation on which a legend called  Sholay  was built. (The author is a political commentator and a global affairs observer. Views personal.)

Essential Tips to Stay Safe Online

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

The increasing number of cybercrimes occurring daily is both alarming and traumatic. No one is exempt; it affects nearly everyone—rich or poor, educated or uneducated, men and women, young and old. The criminals are often invisible or use fake identities, while victims tend to be gullible and unsuspecting. Most do not report these crimes due to shame, fear, or lack of awareness. By the time they realise they've been cheated, significant time has passed, allowing the criminals to complete their transactions and withdraw the funds.


The nature of cybercrime varies by location and incident, taking many forms, including fake investment portals, enticing job offers, fraudulent matrimonial proposals, and so-called "digital arrests." These crimes often start with a call from an unknown person making attractive offers or threats about non-existent crimes. Criminals may impersonate gas company representatives, asking for personal information and bank details, or send emails requesting banking information. In some cases, victims receive video calls where they are "digitally arrested" and pressured to make large payments, with fraudsters preventing them from leaving until the payment is made.


Victims include retirees seeking high-return investments, unemployed youth searching for jobs, and young women interested in marriage proposals. Some women face blackmail or threats of compromising photo publication. Cybercriminals employ various tactics—false promises, unusual returns, and exploitation of greed or dreams—to lure victims. Surprisingly, even those savvy in social media, mobile technology, and computers, including individuals with substantial funds, often fall prey to these schemes.


In some cases, law enforcement agencies have arrested criminals but remain unaware of where the money has gone. On October 10, 2024, the NIA (National Investigative Agency) stated, “Investigations revealed that five individuals trafficked vulnerable Indian youth to the Golden Triangle Region in Laos, forcing them to commit cyber scams targeting European and American citizens. They operated through the consultancy firm All International Services, which served as a front for human trafficking” (The Perfect Voice, October 11, 2024). Many of the real culprits behind these cybercrimes are based in China or Pakistan, causing chaos in countries like India, the USA, and the UK.


Apart from registering offences under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the I.T. Act under various provisions, the RBI and other public and private banks are constantly alerting their customers and the public, in general, to guard against fraudsters and not to disclose their account details or not fall prey to any links for rewards. They have also publicised their helplines, where the victims are asked to report at the earliest.


The Government of India has issued helpline no. 1930, and the website for victims to report is https://www.cybercrime.gov.in.

The Department of Telecommunications has also launched the Mjw portal for reporting suspected fraud and unsolicited commercial communication received in the last 30 days. You can access the portal via this link: https://services.india.gov.in/service/detail/chakshu-report-suspected-fraud-communication


The portal offers several services, including:

• Identifying your wireline internet service provider.

• Reporting international calls that appear to have an Indian number.

• Checking the number of connections issued in your name.

• Verifying your mobile device using its IMEI number.


India Cybercrime Coordination Centre

The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) was established by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi to provide a coordinated framework for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to address cybercrime comprehensively. I4C serves as the nodal point for combating cybercrime across the country.

I4C focuses on raising awareness and training law enforcement officers as Cyber `moÕm (Cyber Warriors), having trained thousands of police officers in handling cybercrime. It also spreads awareness on social media through Cyber XmoñV (Cyber Friends) campaigns.


For safe practices to prevent cybercrime, visit I4C's website. Some key tips include:

1. Avoid pop-ups, unknown emails, and suspicious links.

2. Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.

3. Regularly update and back up your data.


The portal also outlines various categories of cybercrimes., such as, cryptocurrency crime, cyber terrorism, hacking, social media-related crimes, etc.


I urge everyone using computers, mobiles, or other electronic devices to avoid responding to calls, emails, or video calls from unknown numbers, whether in India or abroad. If you choose to respond, verify the caller's details first. Staying vigilant is essential to protect your life, money, dignity, and reputation from the growing threat of cybercriminals.


The Government of India must ensure its portals and helplines are available 24/7 and user-friendly for easy access. It should also secure personal data shared with online platforms, banks, and investment centres, as fraudsters often exploit this information. Legal measures must be introduced to prevent data breaches, with strict penalties for those responsible for leaks. Additionally, the government should study technological innovations from advanced countries to effectively track and apprehend cybercriminals. Strengthening coordination with international organisations and foreign governments is crucial to protecting Indians from these borderless threats.


(The author is former DGP, Maharashtra. Views personal.)

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