Justice Karol said Hindi cinema, especially in the decades following independence, often served as a mirror to the struggles of the working class. “Films such as ‘Deewar’ depicted the consequences of betrayal faced by a trade union worker and its impact on the next generation. In ‘Kaala Patthar’, the harsh realities of coal miners and unsafe working conditions were brought to the forefront, inspired by real industrial disasters. Even earlier, films like ‘Do Bigha Zameen’ and ‘Naya Daur’ captured the anxieties of displacement, industrialisation, and the tension between labour and technology. These films did more than entertain. They gave visibility to the worker, they humanised economic struggle, and they placed questions of justice, dignity, and exploitation into public discourse”.