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Coolie, directed by Manmohan Desai, is an action-packed drama starring Amitabh Bachchan as Iqbal, a railway porter or 'coolie' who fights against social injustice while taking care of his blind mother. The film follows Iqbal's struggle against powerful villains exploiting the poor, and his efforts to unite fellow workers in their collective fight for dignity and rights. The film's production coincided with one of India's most significant labor movements: the Great Bombay Textile Mill strike of 1982, led by Datta Samant. This massive workers' strike, involving over 250,000 textile workers, stretched on for nearly two years, affecting the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands. Coolie was shaped by this tense sociopolitical environment, with its narrative resonating with the struggles of India's working class. The themes of solidarity and resistance are symbolised in several ways throughout the film, none more iconic than the fight scene where Bachchan's character finds a sickle and hammer-symbols associated with communism worldwide-and holds them in the air. The image of Bachchan in his red coolie uniform, brandishing the sickle and hammer, became emblematic of the film's subtextual message of worker empowerment and revolt against capitalist oppression, as can be seen in some of the posters of the film.
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Record Cover
Pereira, Peter (Cinematographer), Coolie, 1983 | Lobby Card
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Photographic Still Mounted on Lobby Card
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Song-Synopsis Booklet
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Photographic Still
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983. Golden Jubilee Trophy for the film Coolie | Jubilee Trophy
Coolie, directed by Manmohan Desai, is an action-packed drama starring Amitabh Bachchan as Iqbal, a railway porter or 'coolie' who fights against social injustice while taking care of his blind mother. The film follows Iqbal's struggle against powerful villains exploiting the poor, and his efforts to unite fellow workers in their collective fight for dignity and rights. The film's production coincided with one of India's most significant labor movements: the Great Bombay Textile Mill strike of 1982, led by Datta Samant. This massive workers' strike, involving over 250,000 textile workers, stretched on for nearly two years, affecting the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands. Coolie was shaped by this tense sociopolitical environment, with its narrative resonating with the struggles of India's working class. The themes of solidarity and resistance are symbolised in several...
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कुली के निर्देशक मनमोहन देसाई हैं, जिन्हें हिन्दी सिनेमा में फ़ॉर्मूला फ़िल्में बनानेवाले सबसे सफल निर्देशकों में से एक माना जाता है। यह फ़िल्म मनोरंजन, एक्शन और मेलोड्रामा से भरी है। फ़िल्म में रेलवे स्टेशन पर कुली का काम करनेवाले नायक इक़बाल की केन्द्रीय भूमिका में 'अमिताभ बच्चन हैं, जो मज़लूमों की ओर से सामाजिक अन्याय के खिलाफ़ लड़ते हैं और आततायी रइसों से लोहा लेते हैं। इक़बाल ग़रीबों का शोषण करनेवाले ताक़तवर खलनायकों के खिलाफ़ डटकर खड़ा हो जाता है और अपने साथी मज़दूरों को उनके हक़ और सम्मान की लड़ाई के लिए एकजुट करता है। कुली के निर्माण का समय वही है जब भारत में मुल्क के आधुनिक इतिहास का सबसे महत्वपूर्ण श्रमिक आंदोलन चल रहा था। यह समय था मज़दूर नेता दत्ता सामन्त की अगुआई में 1982 में हुई 'ग्रेट बॉम्बे टेक्सटाइल मिल स्ट्राइक' का। 2 लाख 50 हज़ार से भी अधिक कपड़ा मिल मज़दूरों की हिस्सेदारी वाली यह विशाल श्रमिक हड़ताल लगभग दो वर्षों तक चली और इसने मुम्बई शहर के सैकड़ों हज़ारों कामकाजी लोगों की रोज़ी-रोटी को सीधे प्रभावित किया। शहर के इसी तनावपूर्ण सामाजिक-राजनैतिक माहौल की पृष्ठभूमि में कुली का कथानक आकार लेता है। अस्सी और नब्बे के दशक के लोकप्रिय पटकथा-संवाद लेखक और अभिनेता कादर खान की लिखी फ़िल्म की कहानी में भारत के...
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Research Centre
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Unknown (Photographer). Discharge from Breach Candy Hospital, 1982 | Contemporary Photograph
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983. Golden Jubilee Trophy for the film Coolie | Jubilee Trophy
Pereira, Peter (Cinematographer), Coolie, 1983 | Lobby Card
Pereira, Peter (Cinematographer), Coolie, 1983 | Lobby Card
Pereira, Peter (Cinematographer), Coolie, 1983 | Lobby Card
Pereira, Peter (Cinematographer), Coolie, 1983 | Lobby Card
Pereira, Peter (Cinematographer), Coolie, 1983 | Lobby Card
Pereira, Peter (Cinematographer), Coolie, 1983 | Lobby Card
Pereira, Peter (Cinematographer), Coolie, 1983 | Lobby Card
Pereira, Peter (Cinematographer), Coolie, 1983 | Lobby Card
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Song-Synopsis Booklet
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Song-Synopsis Booklet
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Full Sheet Poster
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Full Sheet Poster
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Full Sheet Poster
Pereira, Peter (Cinematographer), Coolie, 1983 | Photographic Still Mounted on Lobby Card
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Record Cover
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Photographic Still
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Photographic Still
Desai, Ketan (Producer), Coolie, 1983 | Photographic Still Mounted on Lobby Card
