Hamaar Betwa

Hamaar Betwa (Bhojpuri for “Our son”) is a 1990 Indian Bhojpuri-language film directed by Kishore Kumar Singh. It stars Sujit Kumar, Kunal Singh and Jamuna in the lead roles, with Sanjeevani, Nandini and Yasmin Khan in supporting roles. The film’s story, screenplay and dialogues were written by S. M. Abbas and the music was composed by Chitragupt.

Plot

A childless Thakur and his wife (the Tharukrain) adopt a young orphan boy found at a temple. Shortly afterward, the couple is blessed with biological twins—a boy and a girl. Tragedy strikes when the Thakur loses his estate and is murdered by Arjun Singh during a violent land dispute. Left vulnerable, the mother and her three children are forced to struggle for survival.

As the children grow, a stark contrast emerges between the adopted elder son, Shiva and the biological son, Satish. Shiva, dedicates his life to providing for and protecting his family. When his mother works as a seamstress, a young Shiva abandons his education to labor as a farmhand, eventually buying her a sewing machine. Later, when his mother is abducted by Arjun Singh, Shiva kills him to defend his mother’s honor, resulting in a prison sentence. Meanwhile, the younger son, Satish, grows spoiled and entitled, squandering his mother's hard-earned money.

Following an early release from jail, an adult Shiva returns home to help raise funds for his sister's dowry and wedding while pursuing a romance with Jharna. Satish's greed intensifies; he marries his love interest, Madhu, brings her into the household, and steals the family's savings—including the money earmarked for his sister's wedding—and sells his mother's jewelry. Pushed to the brink by Satish's betrayal, the mother attempts suicide but is saved by Shiva.

Over time Satish's corruption is fully exposed. Confronted with Shiva's unwavering devotion and selflessness, Satish is overcome with remorse and repents for his actions. The story concludes with a reconciliation that restores peace and unity to the family.

Cast

• Sujit Kumar as the Thakur
• Kunal Singh as Shiva, the Thakur’s adopted son
• Jamuna as the Thakurain, the Thakur’s wife
• Sanjeevani, as Satish, the Thakur’s younger biological son
• Nandini, as Satish’s wife, Madhu
• Yasmin Khan as Jharna, Shiva’s romantic interest
• Master Lovely as the young Shiva
• Madhu Mishra
• Ashok Narayan
• Brajesh
• Maharana
• Ramchandra
• Virat
• Hari Shukla
• Bela Ganguly
• Sujata Das
• Vinod Singh
• Raksha Mehta

Production and background

Hamaar Betwa was produced by Jude D’Mello under the banner of Jai Kashi Vishwanath Pictures. The prominence of the film stems in large part from the cast assembled by its producer. Kathryn Hardy’s research on Bhojpuri cinema indicates that distributors consistently identify star power—especially that of a well-known male lead—as a primary determinant of a film’s commercial success, on the grounds that major stars are believed to secure strong openings and mitigate financial risk. In this context, the decision by the producer of Hamaar Betwa to cast Sujit Kumar in the male lead role reflects the wider emphasis on star-driven films, with press sources describing him as the first “superstar” of Bhojpuri cinema and as one of the industry’s most accomplished actors. His co-lead, Kunal Singh had emerged as one of the industry’s most bankable stars following a succession of commercially successful films, culminating in his receipt of the Rashtra Kavi Dinkar Sammaan from Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India.

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack was composed by Chitragupt, with lyrics penned by Anjaan and Sameer.

Release

Hamaar Betwa premiered in India in 1990 as part of the slate of Bhojpuri language productions of the period. Film scholarship typically categorizes works from this decade within the “old Bhojpuri cinema” phase (1960–1990). The film is generally placed within the revivalist wave that followed Dangal (1977), a period later contrasted with the “new Bhojpuri cinema” that took shape from the late 1990s onward.

Reception

Contemporary documentation suggests that Bhojpuri films of the “old Bhojpuri cinema” era—including Hamaar Betwa—rarely received detailed critical coverage. Ratnakar Tripathy observes that such productions “are as a matter of rule not reviewed in newspapers or websites except for promotional commentaries and insertions,” and that textual analysis of Bhojpuri films was largely absent from both journalistic and academic writing. Anjani Srivastava likewise notes the limited archival record for Bhojpuri cinema of this period. As a result, later discussions of Hamaar Betwa tend to emphasise its personnel and situate it within broader historical narratives rather than engage with contemporary critical responses.