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Balraj Sahni the writer
He wrote a series of books in Punjabi. Mera Pakistani Safarnama and Mera Russia Safarnama are considered good writing. Balraj also took to directing IPTA plays and his most successful directional work was Zubaida. He also attempted a film as director in Lal Batti, which was a failed venture. However, writing of the screenplay of film Baazi, directed by Guru Dutt, brought him prominence. Balraj was interested in improving the working conditions of the labour involved in film studios. He took issues with the government on matters that agitated him. He also suffered imprisonment for his Leftist views.
During the post Sino-Indian war, Balraj found himself in a dissenting position to that of the the CPI on the war. He accepted a role in Haqeeqat (1963-64), which depicted a pro-India position and his leftist colleagues resented his participation. When Jawaharlal Nehru died, Balraj was vocal in his praise for Nehru’s contribution to nation building. Balraj was criticised for this praise within IPTA. Balraj continued to be associated with meaningful cinema from Bombay, but he was not much in demand for commercial films.
He remained dependent on the goodwill of his leftist friends for his livelihood. As we look back on his film career, we find that he is present in most of important films of the era. In 1969, the actor was given the Padma Shri, the only official award. However, popular awards still eluded Balraj.
Political work & fruitful decade
In 1970, he worked with P.K. Vasudevan Nair to create a new Leftist youth organisation, the All-India Youth Federation, the youth wing of the CPI, with him as its first president. In 1972, he was invited by the student’s union of Jawaharlal Nehru University, a leftist stronghold, to address the annual student’s convocation. His speech is considered a landmark event in the University’s campus politics.
The decade of the 1960s was most the fruitful for him and he played character roles. Big and small films like Waqt, Ek Phool Do Maali, Ghar Sansaar, Hindustan Ki Kasam, Pavitra Paapi, Aman, Naunihal, Aaye Din Bahaar Ke, and two Punjabi films — Satluj De Kande and Nanak Dhukhiya Sab Sansaar. Anuradha, Kabuliwala and Garam Hawa are Indian cinema’s top-of-the shelf classics. He acted in a total of 93 films, including two which were released after his untimely death. As work in cinema tapered off, Balraj also took a backseat in life.
He died of a broken heart
Following the India-Pakistan War of 1972, he took the vocal political position & endorsed Indira Gandhi’s waging a war against Pakistan to liberate East Pakistan. The CPI strongly disapproved of this and felt Balraj was not a faithful and loyal member of the Communist Party of India. A resolution was passed to throw him out. The job to inform Balraj that he was no more a member of the CPI, was given to some of his closest friends in Bombay. They came to him and handed over the copy of the resolution. He had recently suffered an emotional setback due to the untimely death of his daughter, Shabnam. He suffered a massive heart attack from the compounded stress. As he lay on his deathbed, Balraj asked his wife to get a copy of Das Kapital, the communist movement’s bible and put it beside his pillow. The same night, Balraj died of a broken heart!
