Mother India (Hindi: भारत माता, Urdu: مدر انڈیا) is an Indian melodrama, directed by Mehboob Khan, released in 1957.

A colorful remake of Aurat (1940), Mother India is a two-episode film that tells the story of Radha, a poor peasant woman abandoned by her husband, struggling to survive and save her young children from the injustice done to it by a usurer1,2. In the second part, she has to fight to preserve her honor against her son who has become a bandit who terrorises the village. Radha, woman of honor, preserves the traditional moral values ​​in the adversity while becoming the symbol of the Indian woman3.

The film is considered one of the greatest successes of Indian cinema. He has won numerous awards, including five Filmfare Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. It became the first Indian film to be nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar before Salaam Bombay! and Lagaan.