Films on Gurdial’s novels won National Awards

Gagandeep Singh

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 16

Two Punjabi films – ‘Marhi Da Deeva’ (1989) and ‘Anhey Ghorhey Da Daan’ (2011) — have been made on the two famous novels by Gurdial Singh with the same titles.

These depict the plight of landless farming labourers and Dalits in rural Punjab.

Apart from getting international acclaim, both films have won National Awards.

Directed by Surinder Singh and produced by NFDC, ‘Marhi Da Deeva’ (The Last Flicker) depicts the Malwai village environment and explores the issue of economic inequality, social segregation and plight of landless farm labourers (seeri) and Dalits.

The novel, written in 1969, paints a dark picture of caste-based discrimination. The induction of latest farm equipment diminishing the significance of farm labour has also been discussed.

Bollywood bigwigs, including Raj Babbar, Deepti Naval and Pankaj Kapoor, played major roles in the film.

Based on Gurdial Singh’s novel bearing the same title, Punjabi film ‘Anhey Ghorhey Da Daan’ (Alms of Blind Horse) is said to be the first Punjab film that was screened at numerous international film festivals and won critical acclaim and awards.

Badal, Amarinder express grief 

Chandigarh: CM Parkash Singh Badal mourned the demise of writer Gurdial Singh. He described Gurdial as one of the greatest writers of Punjabi literature. PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh also expressed condolences. He said, “Gurdial Singh was a great storyteller and the master of narrative who won millions of hearts with his gripping stories.” The Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi has also mourned the writer’s death. TNS