Hindi Movie Opinions (1931-1950)
By: Arunkumar Deshmukh
Edited by: Prof Surjit Singh
Printed by: professor toofaani publishers, East Lansing, MI, USA
I’ve reviewed Arunkumar Deshmukh’s first two books on this discussion board – Forgotten Artists of Early Hindi Cinema Guide 1 and Guide 2. I do know sufficient about Arunji via our couple of conferences and his writings on Atul Track A Day and different blogs that he has many books in him. Someday again he requested me for my postal deal with and, after every week, when he requested whether or not I had obtained a packet, I needed to say, No. Then he despatched me the courier’s monitoring id, and I got here to comprehend it was this guide. The courier’s native workplace was in shambles, and after a great deal of observe up from his facet and my facet, the guide lastly arrived, after appreciable delay.
One thing concerning the writer which might place the context of the guide. There was a time from the Nineteen Fifties to Eighties when solely single display theatres have been in existence. Some theatres completely confirmed solely outdated movies; most reserved one present every week, normally Sunday mornings for outdated movies. There was an viewers for outdated movies who wouldn’t thoughts travelling lengthy distances for his or her favorite outdated movies. There have been additionally some theatres which confirmed solely traditional English movies. With the disappearance of single display theatres and arrival of multiplexes, that ecosystem has disappeared. That is ironical as a result of complete variety of screens should have gone up, however decisions have lowered. Arunji grew up in a big joint household in Hyderabad. He was all the time keen on movies, movies of every kind – mythologicals, fantasy, stunt, journey, motion, social dramas. Because the male baby within the household he used to chaperone the household’s girls to cinema halls. He was all the time an organised particular person. He used to take down notes of the story, credit score titles and different particulars. These voluminous observe books turned the supply of his writings.
Hindi Movie Opinions (1931-1950) incorporates a few hundred evaluations, organized alphabetically, with their years of manufacturing in brackets. This makes the search fairly handy. You get to know particulars of yesteryear stars, the movie situation of these days, plenty of attention-grabbing trivia. In lots of evaluations or synopsis the broad context of how he bought to look at that movie is given.
My curiosity was piqued after I noticed the point out of the primary talkies, Alam Ara (1931), as a result of no print of the movie is understood to have survived. Did he see it when its prints have been round? And the way did they get destroyed? Throwing some mild on that might have been fairly helpful. Nonetheless, we do get a synopsis of the story and a few attention-grabbing trivia. The credit score of the primary Hindi movie music goes to De de khuda ke naam pyare taakat hai gar dene ki, sung by and picturised on Wazir Mohammad Khan. The Imperial Movietone’s boss Ardeshir Irani employed the good-looking Vithal (often called Douglas Fairbanks of India), who was on contract with Sharda Films who dragged Vithal to court docket. Vithal was defended by Jinnah.
Like many superstars of the silent period, Vithal’s limitations in dialogue supply was quickly uncovered. Irani was planning to interchange him with Mehboob Khan. Now Vithal dragged Imperial to court docket with Jinnah as his counsel. Imperial needed to proceed with him.
At another discussion board I keep in mind Arunji had talked about one other trivia concerning the court docket battle between Imperial and Sharda on Vithal. The choose held an open public sale between the 2 producers. Imperial outbid Sharda, and thus they retained Vithal. On very outdated trivia, which can’t be verified, the readers ought to go by my buddy Subodh Agrawal’s dictum, why let information spoil a pleasant story. Select any which strikes your fancy.
A landmark image of the Nineteen Thirties was Shantaram-directed Aadmi (1939), which was the story of affection affair between a police constable Moti (performed by Shahu Modak), and a courtesan Kesar (performed by Shanta Hublikar). Kesar herself dissuades Moti from marriage, realising the huge chasm of their social backgrounds. She additionally encourages him to not really feel dejected and get on with life. Some commentator’s seen this movie as a counterpoise to Devdas (1935), during which the dejected hero self-destructs in alcohol. Arunji says that Shantaram didn’t intend his movie as making any counter-statement to Devdas. I keep in mind one attention-grabbing scene from the movie, referencing to song-picturisation these days. Shahu Modak and Shanta Hublikar on the run are caught up in a bunch of crew engaged in a music picturisation. This little bit of meta-cinema exhibits hilariously the perils of stay music picturisation when the digital camera, props and recording equipments needed to be hidden from the view in bushes and tree branches.
Bhabhi (1938) of the Bombay Talkies, directed by their common German director, Franz Austen, was a major movie of the Nineteen Thirties – for its heroine Begum Khurshid Mirza. Khurshid got here from a conventional Muslim household. Nonetheless, her progressive father was very clear that his daughters, and Muslim women on the whole, ought to get a contemporary schooling. He arrange a Girls’s Faculty in Aligarh. Khurshid grew into an informed, stunning lady with thoughts of her personal. After a love affair, she married a police officer and have become Begum Mirza, She already had a baby when she determined to take up the supply of Devika Rani to behave in movies. Supported by her household she moved to Bombay. Devika Rani launched her in Jeevan Prabhat (1937) below the title Renuka Devi. Renuka Devi was an completed singer. Her Jhuki aayi re badariya sawan ki (Bhabhi, 1938, Saraswati Devi) is a fantastic music remembered until at present. After the Partition, she migrated to Pakistan the place she had a profitable profession with Pakistan TV, and at last she was a extremely revered social employee. Fairly a exceptional girl who lived life on her personal phrases.
Whereas speaking about Comrades (1939) of Sagar Movietone, Arunji mentions quite a lot of attention-grabbing trivia. Its director Nandlal Jaswantlal began his profession with Ranjit Movietone. After Sagar and Nationwide he joined Filmistan the place he directed his most well-known movies, Anarkali (1953), and Nagin (1954). He got here again full circle and directed Ranjit’s final movie Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963) which was additionally Nandlal Jaswantlal’s final movie. Speaking additional about such coincidences, although unconnected, Arunji mentions Kanhaiyalal did the identical position of Sukhilala in Aurat (1940) and its remake Mom India (1957). Jayant performed the identical position in Mala (1941) and its remake Amar (1954). However WM Khan takes the cake on this regard. He essayed the identical position of a fakir in Alam Ara (1931), Alam Ara (1956) and Alam Ara (1973) and sang the identical music within the first two variations of the movie. Actually we’re aware of the tune of De de khuda ke naam pyare from the 1956 model. This music is on the market on the YouTube.
Deccan Queen (1936) was the launchpad of Surendra because the Bombay Saigal. He was a good-looking man with an excellent voice. He sang Birha ki aag lagi mere man mein composed by Pransukh Naik, on the tune of Balam aaye baso mere man mein (Devdas, 1935). I don’t suppose Surendra was capable of displace Saigal from his pedestal, however they should have thought his makeover as Bombay-Saigal was full.
Apparently, Devdas (1935) just isn’t within the record of movies lined by Arunji, as additionally lacking is Avenue Singer (1938), although another necessary movies of New Theatres are lined.
Most movies lined within the guide are linked ultimately with an necessary slice of historical past of our movie making. Brahmchari (1938) was the primary movie during which the heroine – Meenakshi Shirodkar (mom of Nanda – since corrected. See the writer’s remark at #3) – was proven in a swimsuit in a pool. This was thought-about obscene these days.
Dhoop Chhaon a.ok.a Bhagyachakra (1935) was the primary movie to have launched playback singing, thought it took some years earlier than it turned the norm. KL Saigal was not within the movie. However two songs – Jeevan ka sukh aaj prabho mohe, jeevan ka sukh aaj; and Andhe ki lathi tu hello hai tu hello jeevan ujiyara hai – which have been sung by KC Dey within the movie have been recorded in Saigal’s voice and these songs turned certainly one of Saigal’s most remembered songs.
Shantaram-directed Duniya Na Maane (1937) was the primary movie to take care of the difficulty of younger women forcibly married to outdated males. This was additionally the primary movie during which Shanta Apte sung an English music, On the earth’s broadfield of battle (A poem written by Longfellow, ‘A Psalm of Life’). Gramophone Singer (1938) had many firsts to its credit score. Zohrabai Ambalewali debuted as a singer on this movie with Piya ghar naahin akeli mohe dar laage composed by Anil Biswas. Kanhaiyal began his performing profession with this movie. In his early days he additionally wrote lyrics for some movies. He was the youthful brother of Sankata Prasad who was a daily with Sagar Movies for the reason that silent period. This was additionally the primary movie of its director duo Virendra Chimanlal Desai and Ramchandra Thakur.
Arunji asserts although Karwan-e-Hayat’s (1935) music is credited to Mihir Kiran Bhattacharya, it was really given by RC Boral. Mihir Kiran was his assistant and his title just isn’t related to every other movie. For me this movie is important for Saigal’s two songs – Hairat-e-nazara aakhir ban gayi ranaaiyan, and Dil se teri nigah jigar mein utar gayi. Arunji has not given the supply for his assertion. Due to this fact, I’d not wish to deprive Mihir Kiran Bhattacharya of the credit score for creating two immortal songs of Saigal. Karma (1933) is understood for an extended kissing scene between Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani.
Related particulars are given for chosen movies of the Nineteen Forties.
Now you get the grasp of the guide. You might be uncovered to the movies of the period, their star forged, story line, and loads of trivia. You may need some points on the omission of some movies and inclusion of some much less worthy movies, however that’s the writer’s prerogative and we’re grateful for what he has carried out. I all the time search for books about that period, as a result of a lot is unknown to us. However I search for some essential essays giving an outline of the interval, evolution of varied developments, comparisons within the model of performing, dialogue supply, and our poor file in preservation of our legacy and so on. A few such overview essays would have enhanced the guide considerably.
