In 1947 India gained independence from British rule. The country was caught between the need to modernise and continue the technological advances of the last two decades, and the need to maintain traditional moral values and avoid cultural decline.

Cities were at the centre of many social and economic changes. Seen as the source of employment and wealth they attracted thousands of migrant workers from the villages. In this period of transition, films looked at the question of national identity and what the meaning of being Indian meant. They explored issues of modernity versus tradition, of urban life versus the rural ideal. Cities were projected as corrupt and evil while villages were seen to preserve social and moral values.

The most important film of its time and now a national epic, Mother India portrayed rural life as the true 'essence' of India. The heroine, Radha, embodied the moral values and social customs that form the basis of traditional Indian society. She stood as a symbol of Indian womanhood and a new independent nation.