FilmIndia (1939)

FILM INDIA April 193! Production : Pictorially, the pie* ture is beautiful in places. But the director seems to have been lost in attaining the pictorial excellence to worry about the story and its theme. In parts the picture is very well directed but at other times it has become too sketchy. Photography and recording are also good in parts, lino music is satisfactory song No. 'd particularly so. Artistically the picture can be called beautiful, but the director has failed to deliver the goods. Points Of Appeal : The storrn and flood shots in the picture are worth seeing twice. "LADIES ONLY" Producers: Sagar Movitone Story & Direction : Sarvottam Badami Cinematography Faredoon Irani Audiography : C. Pandya Dialogues: Zia Sarhadi Songs: Zia Sarhadi and Pandit Indra Music: A Gatak Settings: Roora Mistry Cast: Bibbo, Surendra, Sabita, Prabha, B. Advani Harish etc. Released At: Pathe Cinema, Bombay Date of Release: 16th February 1939. We are told that this a comedy. It is in fact a parody bordering on satire. The whole affair puts a strain on the human imagination and one is compelled to take a lot of things for granted. The picture lacks a motive and therefore iaiis to appeal to the intellectuals. The Story : Three girls from three different provinces Bengal, Gujerat, and the Punjab, are shown as meeting at a single station in Bombay. How thst can be done, is a little difficult to un■derstand knowing that neither at (he Bombay Central Station not at the Victoria Terminus can this trick be done. However it happens in the picture, because the story writer wants It so. They decide to board and lodge together as friends and with an idea to help another. The hero, I doubt whether he can be called one in this picture anyway the male in the story, also meets these girls by a coincidence (very much expected'. They move to the lodgings the three girls in a flat and the man across the street this distance between them being shown in a couple of shots as otherwise one feels that all of them are all the time in the same room. The director needs a^ better study of gecgraphy. The man his name is Satish. evidently has nothing else to do but sing and sing without any reason. He is even shown a couple of times conducting an orchestra of course stray shots to prove the man's all absorbing passion for music, which of course it doesn't prove, but all this effectively exposes the intellectual limitations of the director. The three girls are, Asha, the Punjabee Chhaya, the Bengali and Sarojir1"' the Gujarati. There is so much uf general talk between the girls stressing the provincial differences that one cannot but feel that the roles are intended to portray representative types. The Punjabee girl is shown as a greedy, sleepy, music loving, comfort seeking, jealous and vampish type. She is crude and excitable and Is not expected to understand any mental or spiritual aspect of human existence. Altogether a debatable representation, which might be misunderstood by some super sensitive people of the province. Chhaya the Bengali girl Is shown as coy, vague, miserly and at times primitive. Though a grown up woman she often behaves like a child, evidently to humour the director. Against the none too convincing background created by these two girls, Sarojinl the Gujerati girl, is shown as a resourceful, steady, educated highly intellectual woman with great ideals and greater organising ability. This type is brought out with prominence at the expense of the other two and in this aspect the picture becomes slightly objectionable. Well, these girls meet, live together, aim together at the male who cannot be called a hero in this picture because he does'nt ultimately marry the heroine, and play together, till they reach a luke warm climax where they meet a solid obstacle in the 14 stone wife of the male actor and then the girls walk out together afte: muttering "something" against thf males in general. When it all ends, one feels re lleved. A story must have ; motive and a purpose. This hasn't Acting : Sabita was expected ti give the best performance in thi picture, which she however doe not do. Bibbo beats her hollow The role suits Bibbo and she shine out with her vigorous performance The next best would be Prabh; with her shy and charming man nerisms. She gave one a littli ache and created some sympath; for the Bengali girls in genera] Sabita's portrayal however is ai eloquent defamation of the Guje rati women we generally find ii the country. One cannot imagin such a spineless performance coming from so experienced ai artiste. Sabita was all along artl ficial and when she bursts out into ; song people burst out into one gal: laughter. In the Punjabi costume however, she looked more present able. That is a tip to her directoi About Surendra, less said, th better. B. Advani gave a gooi performance. Production : With a defectiv scenario, one cannot expect a welj directed picture. The director be gan well and the first reel i really attractive but thereafter well, leave it. The direction i poor and too poor for Badair with so much experience behin< him. Photography is beautifu and in places too beautiful fo mere words. The laboratory wor called for more care. Sound re cording is quite good. The music was badly tuned an< did not attain the usual Saga standard. The tunes were wrongl and hopelessely mixed in the des perate effort to give novelty. Th attempt failed in this directior but succeeded in establishing th exact abilities of the music direc tor. Verse composition of thj songs nos. 1 and 4 is praise worthy. Settings are attractive Dialogues are quite nice. Points Of Appeal : Sabita fan may like the picture. The satir in the story is amusing. A son by Surendra is worth hearing. 54