Released in 1971, "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" is considered the forerunner of Bollywood's most famous film, "Sholay". The film is one of the original 'Curry Westerns', with a plot and story line that is a mix of Hollywood Western, Italian Spaghetti Western, and Japanese Samurai Film genres. The plot of "Sholay" has many similarities to "Mera Gaon Mera Desh". A drunkard (played by Dharmendra) is enlisted by a village that is being terrorized by a band of dacoits (bandits) by a lane village elder. The drunkard hero rejects the village and the village rejects him. However, the band of bandits come to terrorize the village and the hero must make a stand and ultimately saves the village.

In the Curry Western, unlike the majority of Hollywood Westerns, Italian Spaghetti Westerns, and Japanese Samurai Films, the hero does not ride off into the sunset and back out into the wilderness he came from. The Curry Western hero marries the heroine, stops drinking, and integrates into the village he has saved. This unique twist on the 'hero as outsider' film genre illustrates the dominant role that society plays in Indian Popular Cinema, as the hero chooses by staying in the village over wandering away, the wishes of society over his desires as an individual.

"Mera Gaon Mera Desh" was a early film for Bollywood superstar Vinod Khanna. Before he became one of the greatest action heroes of Bollywood history, Khanna appeared in a number of (as is termed in Bollywood slang) negative roles. His portrayal of the dacoit Jabbar is viciousness personified. Also actress Laxmi Chhaya who is known to the West as the Bollywood dancer from Terry Zwigoff's film "Ghost World" [2001] has one of her largest screen roles in "Mera Gaon Mera Desh". Chhaya has three dances including the amazing knife dance pictured above.

Photos of Laxmi Chhaya from - "Mera Gaon Mera Desh"

Photos of Asha Parek from - "Mera Gaon Mera Desh"

Photos of Vinod Khanna from - "Mera Gaon Mera Desh"