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MERA PIND

By Manmohan SINGH

RELIANCE ENTERTAINMENT - as PROD

Drama - Production 2008

- Year of production
- 2008
- Genres
- Drama
- Countries
- INDIA
- Director(s)
- Manmohan SINGH
- Cast
- Harbhajan MANN, Mandira BEDI, Navjot SINGH SIDDHU
- Synopsis
- A wise man once said, “Grass is always greener on the other side”, another wise man said, “When in Rome do as the Romans do". We Indians believe in all that wise men say. Why is it that we as Indians in India can’t grow our own grass instead of cultivating the Roman fields? Mera Pind is a sincere attempt to answer this question.
  Mera Pind is a story that opens with a scene set in the Punjab University. Beginning with a brief insight on the lives of two students - Harbhajan, a young man from rural Punjab & Simran, an urbane girl who hails from rich background-the story moves on as we learn that both, in spite of their social differences, share a mutual attraction for each other. As it is the convocation day emotions are flowing galore and both must part ways. Keeping aside their social differences they swear to be soul mates for the rest of their lives.
  On Harbhajan’s return to his native village he is faced with the stark reality of the family’s deteriorating financial condition. Returns from farming, their ancestral source of livelihood, have been dwindling over the past few years & the land has infact been mortgaged to bear the cost of his education. Directionless, Harbhajan is in a dilemma as being educated would mean that he either finds a good job or starts a repectable business. After all a well educated man doing a mediocre business would be the laughing stock of the village. His dilemma is coupled by the fact that he must be successful to not only improve his family’s financial status but also fulfill the criteria for getting married to Simran.
  Set against Harbhajan’s dilemma is his sister in law’s conniving plan to get Harbhajan married to her Nuevo riche cousin abroad. The plan is being presented as an opportunity of making a successful career abroad with a hidden motive of usurping Harbhajan’s share in the family property in his absence.
  As pressure amongst family members builds, dirty linen is washed in public and the village is seen talking about the problems and chaos in Harbhajan’s family. Being a small village, the news spreads fast and one day is the topic of discussion at the Sidhu household. The Sidhu household is represented by an extremely happy go lucky NRI couple Navjot & Mandira. Navjot & Mandira, though rich, are now settled in the village and thoroughly enjoy living a basic life as they go about doing their own household chores and their reckless cycle rides through the village. The villagers find the couple and their earthy antics amusing while they ponder amongst themselves as to why such a rich couple would live such a simple life and do their own household chores.
  Navjot, on hearing of the chaos in Harbhajan’s household, speaks to the village youth and explains that we as Indians go abroad to earn a livelihood and end up doing jobs which we consider derogatory while we are in India. He questions the hypocritical attitude and swears in a Gurudwara that if the village youth extend co operation he is willing to take up the responsibility and promises to convert the village into a model self sufficient village. The village would not only offer a clean, civic, secure, corruption free, peaceful lifestyle to all its residents but also individual prosperity, as Navjot would himself invest and help people set up individual businesses.
  Sidhu picks up the broom and leads the village youth as they work towards giving the village a complete facelift. We see the village get a facelift with new stores, shops, entertainment centers, cafes, showrooms coupled by improved civic amenities now set in the village. With businesses booming and successful individual initiatives there is a complete transformation in the village lifestyle. The village youth that used to loiter aimlessly on dusty roads of the village now wear designer labels as they ride new bikes on the well tarred roads of the village. The elders of the village who use to kill time at the village chaupal now sit at internet browsing centers as some of them infact connect with their relatives overseas.
  Harbhajan has played an integral part in the village’s transformation and now runs a small but very successful roadside eatery. The eatery has transformed his lifestyle with not only a perpetual surplus cash flow but also money for his new car. Though his family acknowledges his prosperity they are not very happy to be associated with someone who runs a small roadside eatery instead of being a landlord, this in spite of their own background financial problems. Problems for Harbhajan don’t end here as his father in law to be, who had otherwise accepted Harbhajan to be his son in law, now has an objection to his well educated daughter getting married to small time roadside eatery owner.
  To change Harbhajan’s father in law’s poor perception, about an individual’s effort towards self reliance, Navjot encourages Harbhajan to scale up his eatery. As the eatery is scaled up it takes on an all together new dimension and Harbhajan’s eatery is now one of the most talked about success story of the region. As Harbhajan’s father in law realizes his fallacy he succumbs to reality and stands in admiration of this young man’s determination.
  The movie culminates with cheers all the way in a now modern, prosperous, self sufficient and self reliant village. There is a wave of enthusiasm across the country with many more villages now motivated by the success story of this tiny hamlet in Punjab…….everybody now wants to grow their own grass instead of looking towards the other side.
  Yet another wise man once said, “One determined person can make a significant difference and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history”
  Another masterpiece from Manmohan Singh, Mera Pind is slated to hit the silver screen in 2008. Mera Pind is poised to be a complete entertainer with a recipe that has the perfect mix of emotions, drama & comedy.