FilmIndia (1946)

OUR REVIEW Kishore Sahu Beats Shantaram! 11 Veer Kunal " Becomes Thought-Provoking Picture ! Good Direction Lends Shobhana Neu> Personality! It must be admitted that Producerdirector Kishore Sahu is a man of rare guts. Unlike others he runs away from the usual rut of motion picture production and adopts new ideas and themes taking terrible trade risks in doing so. Looked at from this point of view. "Veer Kunal" is distinctive in many respects. In this country where music forms the main backbone of success for our pictures, Kishore has given only four songs in "Veer Kunal" and three of these are moodand-theme songs without the primary intention of entertaining. Kishore has used music as an extra medium to express the emotional background of his theme. Incidentally, this is the first time since Indian talkies came to be made that a producer has given so little of music and so much of it in harmony with the spirit of the situations. Another feature of the picture which stares one in the eye is the casting of Shobhana Samarth in the principal role of the vamp. No producer in the country could have dared this seeing that Shobhana has always been typed in the goody goody-roles of the traditional Hindu women, like Seeta, Damayanti and Taramati. When Kishore selectefl Shobhana to play Tishyarakshita, the heartless vamp of "Veer Kunal". many a knowing producer looked upon Sahu as a mad man heading for artistic suicide. "Veer Kunal" however, tells an altogether different story about this long-debated casting. Shobhana has given the best performance of her long screen career and has made the difficult role a great success. Shobhana's success in this picture proves that this artiste has had a lot of latent talent all along and all that she needed was a discerning director to bring out her histrionic art. Kishore has not only proved that a good artiste can play any role given good direction but has also shown that Shobhana is not such .1 mug as critics were inclined to believe for years. Still another distinctive feature of "Veer Kunal" is die democratic Ra 60 VEER KUNAL Producer: Kishore Sahu Language: Hindi Story & screenplay: Kishore Sahu Lyrics: Nilkanth Tiwari, Madhur and Kuntal. Music: Khan Mastana Costumes & Art: Kishore Sahu Cinematography: Chandu Audiography: Narasimh Bendodkar Cast: Kishore Sahu, Durga Khote, Shobhana Samarth, Nila Nagini, Mubarak, Mava Bannerjee etc. Released At: Novelty, Bombay. Date of Release: 1st December J945 Directed by: KISHORE SAHU vour given to an ordinary drama of human passions. Originally, the story was just a passion play of a young lascivious step-mother aiming to drag her virtuous step-son into her own bed of lust, being primarily fascinated by Kunal's magnetic eyes. In adapting this legend for the screen Kishore lent it a higher purpose by weaving round it some political atmosphere and providing some strong arguments in favour of democracy. BEATS SHANTARAM Then again the use of the eyes of Kunal from the beginning to the end is undoubtedly a cleverly woven effort throughout the story. Know ing that Kunal had magnetic eyes which were blinded by a heartless vamp, Kishore first introduces Kunal in the story through the eyes, keeping the rest of his figure out and in the dark. This procedure brings home the tragedy with its requisite intensity when the time of putting those eyes out is reached in the closing stages oi the story. Fortunately, Kishore, whatever his other shortcomings, has remarkably fascinating eyes and he has made very good use of them in the title role of "Veer Kunal." Recruit Shashikant of Gummidipundi, has had film experience already but he wants to stage a come-back in Hindustani pictures. Usually Indian film directors do not realise the thematic symbols of their stories and often these symbols are lost in the picturization because of lack of special emphasis. Of all people, Shantaram has made this mistake in "P. P. A. Dera." This picture was a story of eyes mainly and vet Shantaram lacked the imagination to emphasize this principal symbol of his theme. In this respect Kishore beats Shantaram hollow, for, Kishore has used his main symbol cleverly and with correct emphasis and imagination throughout the picture. Coming to the story proper, its main flaw lies in the too serious approach of the writer in his treatment of the theme. The entire subject is developed in a classical strain, providing very little relief or relaxation. The picture, therefore, becomes rather a heavy entertainment and more so with Kishore's realism in direction often bordering on morbidity. The scene in which Kunal's eyes are put out is so realistically portrayed on the screen, that nervous women almost scream at the sight. It is great art in places, but is it pleasant entertainment ? The director has used a lot of footage in the introductory stage of the storv providing several moments of drag before the interval. But after the interval the story gathers some overwhelming drama which travels at a terrific speed till Kunal delivers his beautiful oration in Ashok's court. At places breathless suspense is maintained and one is almost swept off his feet in sympathy with Kunal who