Name : Shreya Mishra
Roll No. t2023ba026
Urban Sociology Assignment , submitted to Dr. Eldhose Verghese
Sociological analysis of the movie, ‘Jagte Raho’.
‘Jagte Raho’, a movie made in the year of 1956, under the direction of Amit Maitra and Sombhu
Mitra, featured some of the significant realities of the industrial city of our country. It significantly
symbolizes the social order and solidarity made between the folks of a city.
Under the revolving characters around the poor migrated protagonist, the movie shared key
insights upon the social, cultural, economical and legal aspects of a city life.
‘Jagte Raho is an anthem of a consciousness that the ongoing capitalist economy of the world
needs to bring about. It gives at the end a spirit of hope. The ‘shocking and filthy encounters of
change’ in a city life is also a ‘voice of introspection and making the social relations better’.
Key Sociological insights about the city life
Although the movie is set in a period when the modern form of city in India was emerging, it
details the relevant realities of the present time. Some of them are as follow :
1. Sharp Income Inequality : City life can be seen as a place of sharp agglomeration and
division among the classes. There exist two contrasting living standard ; some are the
places that are made to be called as a place of ‘sahabas’ where the flithness and needy
people are not allowed to enter and some are associated with a place of dirt which are
set to be presumed as marginalized and illiterate community.
2. The shared prejudice for association : In the city space though the force of caste
nullifies, the shared class works relatively sharper. People of the same class share the
same living spaces and make most of the interaction between each other. They also
share the class prejudices that follow in terms of looking poor from a sense of inferiority
and epitome of greediness and misfortune.
However, there lies a thin line between these associations. Due to impersonal
relationship and organic solidarity in terms of ‘Emile Durkheim’ , the same class
becomes a cause of enviousness, competition. It also increases the chances of the
creation of criminals for the sake of profits.
Name : Shreya Mishra
Roll No. t2023ba026
Urban Sociology Assignment , submitted to Dr. Eldhose Verghese
3. Commoditization of materials : In comparison to the rural life where basic necessities
are considered the rights of everyone due to the presence of certain public spaces, most
of the city spaces are privately owned. It converts the basic amenities of life more as a
‘product’. These commoditization makes the low income class as deprived of getting
cleaner space, safe drinking water and food, shelter, sanitation, etc.
4. New form of Culture and Exploitation : When the people of rural areas settle in the
city, their culture also undergoes change. It either reforms, refines or rejects the
traditional practices.
a. Gendered reforms and roles : City brings change in the life of women and men
under the intersectionality of their gender. It molds and anchors the expectation
of these groups. A place where the associated dress codes and space of talk
came into change for the women , new forms of exploitation are also generated.
In the richness and glamor of city life, domestic exploitation continues. Women
are even today attached with a materialized symbol of someone’s respect and
made to be restricted inside the house and follow the orders of their god- type
‘husband’. Men get more freedom . Moreover, this form of life makes women
more vulnerable towards security. They are looked at as more vulnerable to
infidelity. However, in practice , men are questioned and treated as culprits less in
comparison to women.
b. Legal exploitation: Under the capitalist economy, rich industrialists make more
share of the power. They act as influencers and try to purchase the
representatives of laws and justice. The Voices of these capitalists are heard
more strongly than the poor. Such legal exploitation makes the deprived being
more vulnerable and prone to criminal acts and attempts of suicide.
c. The biases in journaling practices : Most of the stories in newspapers are created
for the rich and middlemen and they are also sold to the same. This vicious loop
covers the demand and needs of the rich compared to the other section of the
society. It hides the bitter realities and makes new forms of entertainment . The
virtual world comes more into the limelight than the ground stories.
5. New form of personal and private space in relation to the communal and public space
of rural life : With the prevalence of individualism, city people in their small apartments within
Name : Shreya Mishra
Roll No. t2023ba026
Urban Sociology Assignment , submitted to Dr. Eldhose Verghese
skyscrapers make their personal relationship restricted. Moreover these limited relations are
privatized and new forms of checks in its maintenance are being formed. For example - rich
people in the city had a different form of interaction in terms of their voice , intonation, loudness,
etc.
Also, the primary space of a higher class is safer than a poorer one. They cannot be
immediately encroached by legal means as compared to a lower class person.
Implications of the similar insights from another movie of 1956, called as C.I.D
About the movie : C.I.D. is considered one of the classical thriller movies of an Indian Cinema
that talks featuring the nexus of a capitalist and its deep driven power . It is set in the city of
bombay . Its plot and characterisation similarly gives details about the social, cultural and
economical aspect of a city life.
Shared implications :
1. One of the famous songs of the movie, featuring the world of bombay tells about the
social relations of the city. Some part of it is as follow :
In Hindi : “कहीं building कहीं ट्रामे कहीं motor कहीं mill
मिलाता है यहाँ सब कुछ इक मिलता नहीं दिल
इन्साँ का नहीं कहीं नामोनिशाँ
ज़रा हट के, ज़रा बच के
ये है Bombay मेरी जाँ
ऐ दिल है मश्कि
ु ल जीना यहाँ
ज़रा हट के, ज़रा बच के
ये है Bombay मेरी जाँ!”
In English (translated) :
“Somewhere a building, somewhere a tram, somewhere a motor, somewhere a mill
Everything mixes here but the heart does not match.
No trace of humans anywhere
Name : Shreya Mishra
Roll No. t2023ba026
Urban Sociology Assignment , submitted to Dr. Eldhose Verghese
move away a little, stay away a little
This is Bombay my love
O heart, it is difficult to live here
move away, stay away
This is Bombay, my love!”
2. This movie reveals at a greater extent the social capital linked with a higher class person
and how the interaction among the groups is made possible. Most of the relations
shared are professional. Moreover, many of the people migrated in the city due to the
push factors and search for livelihood and employment. The movie also highlights the
mistaken modernity associated with a woman and how she is being commodified as a
source of exploitation. Also, it provides evidence of changing decision making power in
the stated personal space of association like marriage, choice of professional career, etc.
