Heroes/Jagriti

Heroes, is about two guys who go on a road trip and discover their lost patriotism—reminiscent of Satyen Bose's 1954 classic Jagriti, about a bunch of students taking a trip to understand what India is all about.

An ill-bred rich boy Ajay (Raj Kumar Gupta) is a problem kid and sent to boarding school by his grandfather. Ajay refuses to reform, despite the efforts of the kind school superintendent Shekhar (Abhi Bhattacharya). He is also befriended by a crippled schoolmate Shakti (Rattan Kumar), who tries to reform Ajay. Shekhar is a great teacher, but the stubborn Ajay tries to run away from the hostel.The teacher believes in unorthodox methods of education and takes the boys a train journey through India, so that they can see what their country is all about.

While they travel, the film talks about India's cultural heritage, so that the kids are motivated to emulate India's great leaders and believe in noble, patriotic values. The scenes of the trip also highlight the salient points of each state the train passes through—like the valour of Shivaji in Maharasthra, the bravery of Rana Pratap in Rajastan, the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy in Punjab. The evocatively written song Aao bachon gave a capsule history of India.

Ajay is finally reformed when he is responsible for an accident that kills Shakti. He starts to work hard and excel at school. The teacher moves on to carry on his good work elsewhere. The music of Jagriti remains a classic, with some of the best patriotic songs penned by Kavi Pradeep and composed by Hemant Kumar. Each songs is memorable-- Chalo chalein ma sapnon ke gaanv mein, Sabarmati ke sant tu ne kar diya kamaal, Hum layein hain toofan se kashti nikal ke and Aao bachon tumhein dikhayein jhanki Hindustan ki.

Without any major stars, Jagriti turned out to be a hit because of its educational and emotional strengths. It won the Filmfare Award for Best film and Best Supporting Actor Award for Abhi Bhattacharya. Even today, its simplicity, honesty and homespun wisdom has inspirational value.