This poster is a hand-painted copy based on a still from the epic film Mother India. Released in 1957, at the time of the partition of India, it one of the most popular films from the golden age of Hindi cinema and continues to be screened worldwide.
Mother India stars Nargis (1929-1981) as an impoverished mother seeking to follow a moral path against a torrent of personal and social adversity. Here the actor strikes an iconic pose while holding a farm plough. As the New York Times described, “…her honor becomes a symbol of India’s own pride as an ancient culture and a new democracy.”
This poster featured as part of the Touchstone programme (2012-2020). Each display consisted of a single photographic work on the Eranda studio floor where visitors were invited to respond to the question 'What do you see?' using the cards and pencils provided. A bench was placed in front of the work, encouraging people to spend a little longer than they might usually. The programme was part of a wider series of projects and activities related to visual literacy.
A selection of audience responses to the question 'What do you see?'
Installation of Mother India poster © Tim Bowditch
