Julie (1975 film)
Encyclopedia
Julie is a 1975 Hindi
film that stars Laxmi in the title role. It also stars Nadira
, and Sridevi as a child star. The film became a box office hit.
Julie was also a musical hit, with award winning music by Rajesh Roshan
which won him the Filmfare Award for the year. It had one of the first English language songs in an Indian film - "My Heart is Beating", sung by Preeti Sagar
.
It is a rare Hindi film based around an Anglo-Indian family. It is a remake of a Malayalam hit film titled Chattakari
(1974), which also starred Laxmi. She would star in yet another remake, the Telugu film Miss Julie Prema Katha (1975). She didn't act in the Kannada remake, released in 2006, which had Ramya
in the title role as "Julie" and Dino Morea
as the leading man.
Anglo-Indian
girl with a loving, but alcoholic father (Om Prakash
) and a domineering mother (Nadira
), a younger brother and sister (Sridevi). She falls in love with her best friend's (Rita Bhaduri
) brother Shashi Bhattacharya (Vikram), a Hindu
boy, and she has a passionate encounter with him, which leaves her pregnant. He goes away to college, not knowing about her condition. Her mother is distraught when Julie tells her about the pregnancy. They don't tell the rest of the family. Her mother thinks about getting Julie an abortion, but a devout Christian (Ruby Myers
) talks her out of it. Julie is sent away to have her baby in secret. The rest of the family is told that Julie got a job. After the baby's birth, Julie's mother arranges for the child to be left in an orphanage, and demands that Julie return home and forget about the baby.
When she comes back home, her father has died. She is now the primary earner in the family. Later, she runs into her Hindu boyfriend and tells him everything. He asks to marry her, but his mother objects to the mixed marriage. She blames Julie for seducing her son and having the baby. Julie's mother doesn't want the marriage either, as it will represent a mixed-caste marriage, and she wants to return to England
. However, the wisdom of the boyfriend's father (Utpal Dutt
) prevails as he confronts the mothers' prejudices regarding caste and religion, and urges both to accept the baby boy. The film ends with the mothers offering their full blessings to the young couple, and Julie's mother promising her grandson she will "never leave him."
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
film that stars Laxmi in the title role. It also stars Nadira
Nadira (actress)
-References:* Rediff.com* -External links:* . Audio podcast by Eric Molinsky discussing Nadira and other Jewish women in Indian cinema...
, and Sridevi as a child star. The film became a box office hit.
Julie was also a musical hit, with award winning music by Rajesh Roshan
Rajesh Roshan
Rajesh Roshan is a Hindi cinema music composer.-Personal life:Rajesh Roshan is the son of Hindi film composer Roshan and younger brother of film director and actor Rakesh Roshan...
which won him the Filmfare Award for the year. It had one of the first English language songs in an Indian film - "My Heart is Beating", sung by Preeti Sagar
Preeti Sagar
Preeti Sagar is a former Bollywood playback singer who won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the folk song Mhare gaon.. in Manthan in 1978 and was previously nominated for the hit song "My Heart is Beating" from Julie ....
.
It is a rare Hindi film based around an Anglo-Indian family. It is a remake of a Malayalam hit film titled Chattakari
Chattakari
Chattakari is a Malayalam film written by Thoppil Bhasi based on Pamman's famous novel of the same name, and directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan. It is a love story of an Anglo-Indian girl and a Hindu boy who consummate the relationship...
(1974), which also starred Laxmi. She would star in yet another remake, the Telugu film Miss Julie Prema Katha (1975). She didn't act in the Kannada remake, released in 2006, which had Ramya
Ramya
Divya Spandana , known by her stage name Ramya , is an Indian film actress, who predominantly acts in Kannada films and also appears in Tamil and Telugu films....
in the title role as "Julie" and Dino Morea
Dino Morea
Dino Morea is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films and a former model.-Early life:Dino Morea was born in Bangalore to an Italian father and an Anglo Indian mother. He is the second of three brothers. Nicolo Morea is his older brother, and Santino Morea is his younger brother. His family...
as the leading man.
Plot
This film depicts the restrictive social conventions regarding intercaste marriage and unwed motherhood in India. Julie (Laxmi) is a ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
girl with a loving, but alcoholic father (Om Prakash
Om Prakash
Om Prakash was an Indian character actor. He was born in Jammu as Om Prakash Chibber. He used to play the role of Kamla in the stage play by the famous Dewan Mandir Natak Samaj Koliwada. Starting his career in 1942, he was a popular supporting actor from the 1950s until the 1980s. He was one of...
) and a domineering mother (Nadira
Nadira (actress)
-References:* Rediff.com* -External links:* . Audio podcast by Eric Molinsky discussing Nadira and other Jewish women in Indian cinema...
), a younger brother and sister (Sridevi). She falls in love with her best friend's (Rita Bhaduri
Rita Bhaduri
Rita Bhaduri is an Indian film and now television actress. She initially appeared as supporting actress in various Bollywood during the 1970s, 1980's, 1990's and now currently works as television actor...
) brother Shashi Bhattacharya (Vikram), a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
boy, and she has a passionate encounter with him, which leaves her pregnant. He goes away to college, not knowing about her condition. Her mother is distraught when Julie tells her about the pregnancy. They don't tell the rest of the family. Her mother thinks about getting Julie an abortion, but a devout Christian (Ruby Myers
Ruby Myers
Sulochana , real name Ruby Myers) was an Indian silent film star of Jewish ancestry, although it is unclear whether she descended from an Ashkenazi family, Bene Israeli family, or both....
) talks her out of it. Julie is sent away to have her baby in secret. The rest of the family is told that Julie got a job. After the baby's birth, Julie's mother arranges for the child to be left in an orphanage, and demands that Julie return home and forget about the baby.
When she comes back home, her father has died. She is now the primary earner in the family. Later, she runs into her Hindu boyfriend and tells him everything. He asks to marry her, but his mother objects to the mixed marriage. She blames Julie for seducing her son and having the baby. Julie's mother doesn't want the marriage either, as it will represent a mixed-caste marriage, and she wants to return to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. However, the wisdom of the boyfriend's father (Utpal Dutt
Utpal Dutt
Utpal Dutt was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali Theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the 'Little Theater Group' in 1947, which enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period...
) prevails as he confronts the mothers' prejudices regarding caste and religion, and urges both to accept the baby boy. The film ends with the mothers offering their full blessings to the young couple, and Julie's mother promising her grandson she will "never leave him."
Awards and nominations
- Bengal Film Journalists' Association AwardsBengal Film Journalists' Association AwardsThe Bengal Film Journalists' Association is the oldest Association of Film critics in India, founded in 1937, by the inspiration and determination of the handful of pioneers amongst the then thin section of scribes that were drawn to film journalism with a lofty mission to serve the developing...
for "most outstanding work of the year", Laxmi - Filmfare Best Actress AwardFilmfare Best Actress AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:...
, Laxmi - Filmfare Best Supporting Actress AwardFilmfare Best Supporting Actress AwardThe Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
, NadiraNadira (actress)-References:* Rediff.com* -External links:* . Audio podcast by Eric Molinsky discussing Nadira and other Jewish women in Indian cinema... - Filmfare Best Music Director AwardFilmfare Best Music Director AwardThe Filmfare Best Music Director Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to the best composer/arranger of a soundtrack. This category was first presented in 1954. Naushad was the first recipient of this award for his song "Tu Ganga Ki Mauj"...
, Rajesh RoshanRajesh RoshanRajesh Roshan is a Hindi cinema music composer.-Personal life:Rajesh Roshan is the son of Hindi film composer Roshan and younger brother of film director and actor Rakesh Roshan... - FilmfareFilmfareFilmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...
Nomination for Best Female Playback Singer, Preeti SagarPreeti SagarPreeti Sagar is a former Bollywood playback singer who won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the folk song Mhare gaon.. in Manthan in 1978 and was previously nominated for the hit song "My Heart is Beating" from Julie ....
for the song "My Heart is Beating"