FilmIndia (1939)

ROUND THE TOWN KAPAL KUNDALA Produced by: New Theatres Ltd., — Story by: Bankim Chatter ji — Direction: Phani Mazumdar — Dialogues and Songs: Shore and Arzu — Music Direction: Pankaj Mullick — Cinematography: Dilip Gupta — Audiography: Sham Sunder Ghosh. Cast: Leela Desai, Najam, Kamlesh Jagdish, Panna, Pankaj Mullick, etc. Released at Roxy, Bombay — Date of Release: 16th September 1939. Unless B. N. Sircar stops such fatal experiments as entrusting an important picture like "Kapal Kundala" to mediocre directors like Phani Mazumdar we are afraid the New Theatres reputation (built on such masterpieces as "Devadas", "Vidyapati" and "Bari Didi' ) will be seriously impaired. Judging from ordinary standards "Kapal Kundala" may be 'not a bad picture,' but it certainly falls short of the standards created by New Theatres' own productions. The Story: The late Bankim Chandra Chatterji, the celebrated author of Bengal who wrote the immortal lines of the 'Bande Matram' song, wrote the original 'Kapa! Kundala' on which the present film is based. But it ap pears that Mani Dutta who wrote the screen adaptation and Phani Mazumdar who was responsible for scenario, have both misunderstood and consequently misrepresented the original story which was the psychological portrait of a child of nature, a girl brought up by a Kapalik far away from the complexities of the world, a girl who was more at home playing with the waves of the sea than in human company and who did not even understand the meaning of Love. This characterization was placed, for effect, against the back-ground of the Seventeenth Century Bengal — when human sacrifices were still made at the altar of the goddess Kali, when sailing boats dared the capricious seas, when the influence of the Moghal emperors of Delhi ABBAS ON THE AIR! To Broadcast Review of Indian Films Mr. K. Ahmad Abbas, the Film Critic of "The Bombay Chronicle" and a regular contributor to "Filmindia" will broadcast a review of Indian Films (in Hindustani) from the Bombay Station of the All India Radio on 27th October. Ratanbai in Supreme Pictures' mighty epic Ghazi Salahuddin. was disturbing the placidity of social and cultural life even in distant Bengal. Phani Mazumdar has invested the story of the rationalist author with an unnecessary and irrelevant mystical air. Strange heavenly sounds keep calling Kapal Kundala who seems to be living in perpetual dread of some supernatural phenomena. Even the clap-trap of the Kapalik's sandals has been given an eerie significance. Performances: Leela Desai has done unexpectedly well in a role which is quite different from the roles she has played so far. Najmul Hasan shows marked improvement and proves that he can Rajput chivalry lives again in the role of Sangramsingh played by veteran Sohrab Modi in Minerva's "Pukar", one of the year's outstanding box-office 'hits'. sing well. Kamlesh Kumari acts with sensitive restraint and dances with her characteristic grace. The piece de resistance of the film, however, are the two songs by that versatile musical genius, Pankaj Mullick. Production: With such an excellent cast it is a pity the Director has utterly failed to produce a better picture. The scenario is fundamentally weak and, except in one or two scenes, editing has not helped. Sound recording is excellent but photography is not up to the level of "Vidyapati" or "Dushman." The musical score (by Pankaj Mullick) is throughout impressive. Points of Appeal: The name of Bankim Babu, the reputation of New Theatres, the songs of Pankaj Mullick and dances of Kamlesh Kumari may, to some extent, draw crowds — despite Phani Mazumdar's marked failure. COMRADES Produced by: The Sagar Movietone Co. — Story by: Babubhai Mehta;— Direction: Nandlal Jashvantlal — Dialogues: Zia Sarhady — Songs: Zia Sarhady and Kanniya Lai — Music Direction: Anil Biswas —Cinematography: Faredoon Irani —Audiography: C. Biggs and Chandrakant Pandya: Cast: Surendra, Maya, Harish, Jyotl, 29