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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.)

FOCAC 2024: China’s Expanding Influence in Africa

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

FOCAC 2024: China’s Expanding Influence in Africa

The 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing from September 4 to 6 highlighted China’s deepening role in Africa’s economic development. Themed “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” brought together African heads of state and key Chinese leaders.

The discussions focused on strengthening partnerships in infrastructure, green development, and digital innovation. In response to African debt concerns, China shifted its lending policies, committing to smaller, risk-managed projects. These efforts align with Africa’s Agenda 2063, the African Union’s 50-year plan for inclusive growth, peace, prosperity, and a stronger global role.

The summit produced the FOCAC Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027), focussing on renewable energy, healthcare, education, and industrialisation. China pledged continued investments in Africa, while both sides emphasised cooperation on global challenges like climate change, poverty, and food security.

The China-Africa relationship is more intricate than it seems. Since its inception in 2000, FOCAC has largely operated within a donor-recipient framework, with China dictating the agenda and African countries responding. This imbalance has sparked concerns about whether African nations are truly reaping the benefits of this partnership or simply becoming economically reliant on China, highlighting the potential risks of such involvement.

China-Africa relations date back to the 1950s, with China supporting African anti-colonialism and anti-imperialist movements. China’s involvement grew in the 1970s, with key projects like the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, The establishment of FOCAC in 2000 shifted focus to economics, making China Africa’s largest trading partner, heavily investing in infrastructure, energy, and telecommunications to support its own growth needs.

China’s infrastructure projects like ports and energy plants, part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), have been instrumental in Africa’s development. China has provided capital for projects that would otherwise have languished. By 2023, Chinese firms had installed over 25 gigawatts of power generation capacity, and trade between China and Africa reached a robust $282 billion, a potential for mutual economic growth and development.

African countries are increasingly concerned about rising debt linked to Chinese loans, with nations like Zambia and Kenya fearing economic exploitation and potential asset seizures in case of defaults. The influx of Chinese workers for infrastructure projects has caused social tensions, as local communities feel marginalised by the lack of job opportunities. Despite criticism from Western powers viewing China’s presence as a geopolitical strategy, its influence in Africa continues to expand.

China’s heavy involvement in Africa is no coincidence. Africa has vast natural resources, from rare minerals to oil reserves, crucial to China’s industrial machine. Beyond resources, Africa’s markets offer significant opportunities for Chinese goods, and its geopolitical positioning makes it a key ally in global diplomacy. African nations, in turn, often support China on contentious international issues, such as Taiwan’s status and territorial claims in the South China Sea.

FOCAC provides a stage for China to assert its influence and further its ambition of becoming a global power. Yet, the imbalance in power dynamics between China and Africa must be addressed. While China is clear about its objectives, African nations have struggled to craft a unified strategy for engaging with China on their own terms. This leaves many African countries at a disadvantage, relying on state-to-state negotiations where their leverage is limited.

Western nations, particularly the US and EU, view China’s activities sceptically, accusing Beijing of pursuing “debt trap diplomacy.” They argue that China’s investments are designed to make African nations economically indebted to Beijing, ultimately giving China undue influence over the continent’s political decisions. The West has also launched initiatives like the Build Back Better World (B3W) to offer alternative funding sources to African nations, though these efforts remain in their infancy.

Japan and India are also increasing their involvement in Africa. Through platforms like the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Japan aims to strengthen ties and counterbalance China’s dominance. India, too, has ramped up its engagement with Africa, mainly through trade and investment forums such as the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) and the India-Africa Defence Dialogue.

The 2024 FOCAC summit underscores the evolving nature of China-Africa relations. While China remains a crucial partner for Africa’s development, the power imbalance in this relationship continues to raise concerns. To truly benefit from this partnership, African nations must take the lead in developing a more cohesive and strategic approach to engaging with China, ensuring that they protect their sovereignty and secure long-term gains. Taking a proactive approach is crucial in navigating international relations.

As global competition for Africa’s resources and political alliances intensifies, the continent must navigate these external influences carefully. FOCAC’s outcomes may paint a picture of prosperity. Still, the true test will be whether Africa can emerge from these partnerships with greater autonomy, economic strength, and a sustainable path forward.

(The writer is an IT professional. Views personal)

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