FilmIndia (1940)

Our Review " SOHHG " fin Absurd Picture Of CIRCO Timir Baran's More Awful Music Balwant Bhatt' s "Touches" Make "Sohag" An Untouchable Picture Those who thought that the second production of Circo would be an improvement over the first one, have been badly let down in "Sohag" which came to the screen at the Majestic with a big ballyhoo. The "Times of India," with its peculiar notions of film criticism reviews this picture as follows: "The picture itself is a notable contribution to the Indian screen, distinguished in every detail and particularly in respect of the acting, music and direction, all three of which are of the highest standard and co-ordinated with admirable art to provide entertainment of the finest quality." A greater lie has not been told since the myth about the Forbidden Fruit. It is a pity that a paper with a century-old tradition to back it should stoop to misguide its readers with such a brazen-faced review. Or is the writer of the review to be blamed for erring so sadly in evaluating the picture? On the other hand what use is the praise of really good pictures, however deserved it be, once the readers realise the true value of such irresponsible reviews! Whatever be the reason, this leading newspaper with its countrywide circulation can render more useful service to the Indian film industry by publishing the correct evaluation of our pictures than by becoming party to a fraud on its innocent leaders. Barring the screen page, the "Times of India" is still my favourite paper for several other reasons. UNIQUE IN DISAPPOINTMENT Coming to the picture under review, it. is perhaps unique in being disappointing in every respect. It has neither a good story, nor good music, nor good acting nor good direction nor even good photography and sound. It is a perfect mess of jumbled ideas presented on the screen in a clumsy and primitive way. OH, WHAT A DANCE! Dhanji Bhagat is a professional thief who carries out thieving commissions for Keshav Seth (Mazhar) a rich moneylender of a village. This, he naturally does during the nights and he had to be given work for the day. So the writer makes his daughter Raju (Bibbo) a street dancer and the picture opens with Raju's broken reed in the throat trying to make a noise, which the audience are expected to accept as music, and in a vain attempt to shuffle the feet in imitation of a dance. * ^ » — ^^^^^^^^ — . » ♦ — m m » ■ SOHAG Producers Circo Productions Screen Play Nanubhai Dave Music Timir Baran Photography Vasant Jagtap Audiography R. G. Pillay Dialogues Pandit Indra Cast Kumar, Bibbo, Mazhar Ashalata etc., Released at Majestic Cinema Date of Release: 11th June 1940 Director:— BALWANT BHATT The audience of a dozen persons, including two women in decorative posture hanging over a balcony, seems to be rooted to the ground (of course under instructions) as if it had seen a rattle snake. The dance over, a few coppers are thrown about and the people about having done their work of standing like lamp posts, get out of the way of the director and allow him to give some more sparks of intelligence, BALWANT BHATT STARTS "TOUCHING" Keshav Seth (Mazhar) comes in just v. hen Raju is reminding her father of his promise to give her Mr. A. V. Pandit — well known publicist. To him goes the credit of getting our society leaders interested in our films. silver bells. A ten-rupee note passed on with a hint that a local jeweller has received new supplies of jewellery is the subtle hint to Dhanji to break into the shop that night. It is the first Balwant Bhatt "touch'' which he seems to have brought from Prakash. The second Balwant Bhatt "touch" is a shot in the jeweller's shop where, while Raju is busy trying the bells, Dhanji is taking a panoramic view of the new goods. The third Balwant Bhatt "touch" would have us believe that the fat overgrown woman Raju is still a child and does not know the shady activities of her father extended over several years. The fourth Balwant Bhatt "touch" shows the conflict between Keshav Seth (Mazhar) and Ramesh his son (Kumar) where Keshav Seth quite casually tells his son to keep the safe open for the night which of course puzzles Ramesh (Kumar) and this expression is further intensified by the chubby and rotund face which Kumar has managed to secure recently. By the way, Kumar's latest acquisition in weight is a piece of upholstery suitable for the most antique piece of Victorian furniture. Dhanji of course commits the theft but discovers a smoking policeman 53