FilmIndia (1940)

May, 1940 FILMINDIA By giving the audience a chance to guess this correctly, the director has really paid a compliment to the intelligence of his audience. Throughout the picture, the director has, out of sheer good manners, allowed the audience to exercise its imagination more frequently and thoroughly at several places and thus established an eternal good will between himself and the people by allowing them to take part in the actual production of the intended picture. LOVE DEMANDS ITS PRICE Having fallen in love so desperately, it is but proper for the heroine to return to the battle field of her emotions. As was expected the hero is also in the same mental turmoil. They meet once again and under the pretext of seeing more of the river go boating together with Rajni watching. It is time to expect some fire works from Rajni, but she is a peculiar fisherwoman and does not burst out like those we find in our city markets. She weeps instead, to create some over due pathos. Things however take a sudden turn and Ragini induces Gopal to go with her to the city to stay with her. Gopal who has also fallen in love, as is evident from his oftblowing nostrils whenever he looks at Ragini, decides to go. Then comes the parting scene where Behari (Eruch Tarapore) tries to act heart broken. After a prolonged wholesale embracing, the hero drives away to the city by the side of the heroine. Then those behind all look, as every one looked when Puran went away in "Puran Bhakt". Since the day Debaki Bose did this to us, it has never been forgotten and in various shapes and twists it is never allowed to be forgotten. SO NEAR YET SO FAR! In the city, Gopal very soon becomes an expert motor driver and wears the English costume comfortably, but somehow does not learn the correct use of knives and forks. He doesn't even know the use of the soup spoon. Had he learnt that before. the director would have lost a chance of ridiculing him in the city. Sending him back then would have become a real problem. Gopal, however, is staying with Ragini in her own house. She is all alone — practically an orphan — having no parents, relatives and not even any pets. And Gopal who is in love with her and vice versa, also lives with her all alone. And to prove that every stranger in a film star's house, is a safe inmate, they love each other but don't overstep the limit. They sing and dance together, ceo and cuddle — but that far and no further says the director. Gopal however. soon discovers that he is a bad misfit in the city and goes away. No, No! Not without the heroine following him in a train, making a sacrifice, giving up her glamorous life and agreeing to share his poor man's bread raited with honest sweat. AH! THE PROPOSAL AT LAST! Gopal soon gets going and starts breaking stones. carrying mortar etc. in a place which looked more like a convict colony. He returns home and makes the supreme proposal of marriage to Ragini. She had been waiting for it all this time and it had to come some time. So it is vomitted here like a long accumulated bile. After this Gopal naturally feels relieved and flies off to buy his wedding presents. It is a mercy to the audience that he does not burst out into a song and Ragini does not unwind herself in the characteristic Shanta Apte Do you recognise this old favourite? LALITA POWAR in "Capt. Kishori" a Mohan Picture. 41