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{{About|a Hindi film|the ethnoreligious group and cultural community|Jews|similarly spelled subjects|Yehudi (disambiguation){{!}}Yehudi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Yahudi
| image          = yahudi.jpg
| caption        =
| director       = [[Bimal Roy]]
| producer       = Savak B. Vacha
| writer         = [[Wajahat Mirza]]
| screenplay     = [[Nabendu Ghosh]]
| based_on       = {{based on |''[[Yahudi Ki Ladki]]'' |[[Agha Hashar Kashmiri]]}}
| narrator       =
| starring       = [[Dilip Kumar]] <br/>[[Meena Kumari]] <br/>[[Sohrab Modi]]<br/>[[Nazir Hussain]] <br/>[[Nigar Sultana (actress)|Nigar Sultana]]
| music          = [[Shankar Jaikishan]]<br>[[Shailendra (lyricist)|Shailendra]] <small>(lyrics)</small>
| cinematography = Dilip Gupta
| editing        = [[Hrishikesh Mukherjee]]
| studio         =
| distributor    = Bombay Films
| released       = {{Film date|1958|9|5|df=yes|ref1=<ref name="Release Date">{{cite news |title= Yahudi|website=Times of India |url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-details/yahudi/movieshow/61324957.cms |access-date= 2018-07-03}}</ref>}}
| runtime        = 170 minutes
| country        = [[India]]
| language       = [[Hindi]]
| budget         =
}}
'''''Yahudi''''' ({{translation|[[Jew]]}}) is a 1958 [[Hindi]]-language [[Epic film|epic]] [[Romance film|romantic]] [[historical drama|historical drama film]] directed by [[Bimal Roy]]. It stars [[Dilip Kumar]], [[Meena Kumari]], [[Sohrab Modi]], [[Nazir Hussain]], [[Nigar Sultana (actress)|Nigar Sultana]] among others. It is based on the play ''[[Yahudi Ki Ladki]]'' by [[Agha Hashar Kashmiri]], a classic in [[Parsi theatre|Parsi]]-[[Urdu]] theatre, about persecution of Jews in the [[Roman Empire]] in the empire's centre - [[Ancient Rome|Rome]].<ref name="Desai2013">{{cite book|author=Meghnad Desai|title=PAKEEZAH|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xgKNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT44|date=2013|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers India|isbn=978-93-5116-023-6|pages=44–}}</ref> Although not very well received critically, the film was a big hit despite its alien theme, and was the third-highest grossing Indian film of 1958, owing to the box office draw of Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari.{{cn|date=May 2023}}
The film's lyricist [[Shailendra (lyricist)|Shailendra]] won the [[Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist]] at the [[6th Filmfare Awards]], for the song "Yeh Mera Diwanapan Hai",<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Ashutosh |date=2023-09-11 |title=Shailendra: Lyricist who found divinity in humanity |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/cinema/remembering-shailendra-the-legendary-lyricist-who-defined-bollywoods-soul/article67294434.ece |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=Frontline |language=en}}</ref> sung by [[Mukesh (singer)|Mukesh]].{{cn|date=May 2023}}
The plot bears similarities to [[Jacques Fromental Halévy]]'s opera [[La Juive]].{{cn|date=May 2023}} The story revolves around the life of a foster relationship.
==Plot==
{{Long plot|date=March 2021}}
Ezra ([[Sohrab Modi]]) is a [[jeweller]] who has a son named Elijah. He also has a friendly butler/childminder called Emmanuel. At the beginning of the film, Ezra is due to leave on a trip. As he does, Elijah becomes upset and stands on the balcony. On the roads of the Jewish quarter, Brutus ([[Nazir Hussain]]), [[Roman governor|Governor of Rome]], is passing, making an announcement. A stone slips from Elijah's hand on the balcony and hits Brutus on the head. Brutus immediately gets Elijah arrested, and as Elijah is a Jew, sentences him to death. Hearing this, Ezra rapidly returns and arrives at the doorstep of Brutus. He begs Brutus to free Elijah, but Brutus feeds Elijah to hungry lions. Ezra sadly returns to his house and mourns his son. Emmanuel sees that his master is almost catatonic. In revenge, Emmanuel kidnaps Lydia, motherless daughter of Brutus, and takes her to Ezra. Ezra snaps out of his catatonic state when the girl starts to call him father, and he refuses to kill her and instead adopts her as his child. Emmanuel is killed by soldiers.
Brutus' anger brews. He orders the guards to find his daughter, and call for punishment of all Jews. Ezra remains hidden and raises Lydia, who grows up thinking she is Ezra's daughter and that her name is Hannah.
Years pass and Ezra grows to become a successful jeweller, well known to be so good and a Jew. Hannah ([[Meena Kumari]]) grows into a beautiful young lady and attracts attention from many. The [[Roman emperor|Emperor of Rome]] arrives in [[Ancient Rome|Rome]] for the marriage of his son Prince Marcus ([[Dilip Kumar]]) to Brutus' niece Princess Octivia ([[Nigar Sultana (actress)|Nigar Sultana]]).
However, Prince Marcus avoids talking about his wedding and opposes it. One day, when returning from a hunting trip, he is injured and is cared for by Hannah. He then disguises himself as a Jew and goes back into the Jewish neighbourhood. He rescues Hannah from the unwanted attentions of a Roman soldier and meets her father, Ezra, not as Prince Marcus but as Moshe, a successful Jew from Alexandria. Ezra is happy to meet him and "Moshe" and Hannah fall in love. However, Hannah soon notices that something isn't right. Prince Marcus then reveals who he is, making Hannah very upset at his dishonesty, and she banishes the Prince from her life.
Then comes the day of the wedding of Prince Marcus and Princess Octivia. Everyone is invited. Before the ritual could commence, Hannah shouts that she had been cheated by a Roman. Ezra joins in to get back at his enemy Brutus. He clamours for justice. The Emperor demands the name of the culprit and Hannah claims it is Prince Marcus. Brutus tries to rebut Hannah and Ezra, but the Emperor insists that justice must be done. Heartbroken, Hannah returns home.
She is followed by Princess Octivia. Hannah sees the Princess at her doorstep and denies her entry. Hannah knew the princess would beg for the Prince's life. However, the princess tells Hannah that the Prince will be sentenced to death the very next day. Early the next day, without warning, Hannah takes Ezra with her to the Emperor. There she recants her accusation of the prince. She tells the Emperor that the man that cheated was not the prince but a look-alike. Ezra is shocked, and Brutus, filled with joy, sentences Hannah and Ezra to death. They are to be thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil that very day, in front of the Prince. Unable to bear that his beloved will be burnt in front of him, Prince Marcus blinds himself, then goes to the cauldron chamber.
Ezra is begging for Hannah's life, and Hannah is trying to reason with Ezra that she'd rather die than live a life of hate. But Brutus stops at nothing and wants the two to die. Immediately, Ezra tells Brutus that he knows where the Governor's lost daughter is. Brutus is confused and says that this is Ezra's revenge and accuses the Jew of lying. Ezra sarcastically agrees. Brutus still begs Ezra for his daughter's whereabouts and Ezra will only reveal it on one condition: Hannah is to be thrown into the cauldron as soon as Brutus finds out who his daughter is. Ezra tells Brutus and the confused Hannah that Hannah is Brutus' daughter and the Jew tells the guards to throw Hannah into the boiling oil. Brutus orders them to stop. Ezra looks at Hannah and dies. Hannah cries over her foster father's dead body. Brutus tells Hannah not to cry, but Hannah does not listen. She runs away from Brutus looking for the Prince. Shocked to find him blind, Hannah lends him support and helps him as the two disappear into the distance.
==Cast==
*[[Sohrab Modi]] as Ezra Johari
*[[Dilip Kumar]] as Shehzada [[Marcus Aurelius|Marcus]]
*[[Meena Kumari]] as Hannah / Lydia
*[[Nigar Sultana (actress)|Nigar Sultana]] as Shehzadi Octavia
*[[Nazir Hussain]] as Brutus
*[[Anwar Hussain (actor)|Anwar Hussain]] as Antonio
*[[Minoo Mumtaz|Minu Mumtaz]] as Ruth
*[[Ramayan Tiwari|Tiwari]] as Emmanuel
*[[Murad (actor)|Murad]] as Emperor [[Julius Caesar]]
*[[Indira (actress)|Indira]] as Yasmine
*Adil
*Bikram kapoor as Leo
*[[Kumari Naaz|Baby Naaz]] as Young Lydia
*Romi as Elijah
*[[Helen (actress)|Helen]] as Dancer / Singer
*[[Cuckoo Moray|Cuckoo]] as Dancer / Singer
*[[Kumari Kamala|Kamala Laxman]] as Wedding Dancer / Singer
==Soundtrack==
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1   = Aansoo Ki Aag Leke Teri Yaad Aayi
| extra1   = [[Lata Mangeshkar]]
| lyrics1  = [[Hasrat Jaipuri]]
| length1  = 03:50
|
| title2   = Aate Jaate
| extra2   = Lata Mangeshkar
| lyrics2  = [[Shailendra (lyricist)|Shailendra]]
| length2  = 04:04
|
| title3   = Dil Mein Pyar Ka Toofaan
| extra3   = Lata Mangeshkar
| lyrics3  = Shailendra
| length3  = 04:30
|
| title4   = Meri Jaan Meri Jaan
| extra4   = Lata Mangeshkar
| lyrics4  = Shailendra
| length4  = 03:11
|
| title5   = Ye Duniya Hai Hamari Ye Duniya
| extra5   = [[Mohammed Rafi]]
| lyrics5  = Shailendra
| length5  = 03:24
|
| title6   = Yeh Mera Deewanapan Hai
| extra6   = [[Mukesh (singer)|Mukesh]]
| lyrics6  = Shailendra
| length6  = 03:46
|
| title7   = Bechain Dil Khoyi Si Nazar
| extra7   = [[Geeta Dutt]], Lata Mangeshkar
| lyrics7  = Shailendra
| length7  = 04:38
|
| total_length = 27:23
}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0052411|Yahudi}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC3YoySGeA8 Full movie YouTube]
{{Bimal Roy}}
[[Category:1950s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:1958 films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Shankar–Jaikishan]]
[[Category:Films directed by Bimal Roy]]
[[Category:Films set in the Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Indian historical drama films]]
[[Category:Films about royalty]]
[[Category:Films about antisemitism]]
[[Category:Indian films based on plays]]
[[Category:Indian epic films]]
[[Category:Historical epic films]]
[[Category:1950s historical drama films]]
[[Category:1958 drama films]]