FilmIndia (1940)

FILMINDIA July, 1940 and cmite obligingly kills him. That makes room for the fifth Balwant Bhatt "touch'' in which the street lamp is broken. The next day, the policemen in the village get going and in a characteristic Prakash way start their marathon flogging of all suspects. Dhanji is one of the suspects, who receives a few hits but is rescued by Keshav Seth through his influence on the Sub-Inspector of Police. It is now time for the sixth Balwant Bhatt "touch." It comes in the form of Dhanji's death. Dhanji is shown as a very strong man and yet he dies as" quickly as Balwant Bhatt himself wanted him to after a short beating. HALF-BAKED CRIMINAL The death of Dhanji brings Raju to Keshav Seth asking for twenty rupees for the funeral expenses. But strangely enough a careful criminal like Keshav Seth refuses to help her and makes her give him a lecture on life and its sins. The lecture is swallowed by the chubby-faced son Ramesh with an open mouth and no sooner does Raju leave the' father and the son, Ramesh runs after 'her. But Raju has been quick about things. She manages to get her father's body burning to make her visit with the hero more dramatic in the burning place. The seventh Balwant Bhatt touch is the flame of love shooting out from the burning pyre of the father and enveloping the hero and the heroine. Quick dissolves show the fast progress of love between the two. The father who has been sleeping so far now wakes up suddenly and tries to get his son married to frustrate his romance with the beggar girl. The boy naturally refuses, but submits when he sees the ghost of his dead mother at the doors of Raju. WHAT A BRIDE! So Ramesh is married to Kamla an angel in human shape. On the wedding night the angel waits and sings, and sings and waits in the bridal chamber with a wideawake sex-conscious look which is never to be found in a newly mar Principal Atre, the writer of the story, probably likes her this way. So he has put Vanmala in a tennis situation in "Lapandav." Well, the costume is convenient for service. ried bride. The Balwant-Bhatt touch here shows the husband shirking his responsibility. Ramesh runs out to Raju. But Raju has already a visitor in Keshav Seth who tries to force his attention on the girl only to die rather tamely at the hands of his own son. Raju, as is expected, takes the guilt and goes to jail for three years for the murder of Keshav Seth. The judge, while sentencing, observes her young and beautiful age and gives her a light sentence of three years for murder. That judge certainly had eyes. The three years are passed in memory by Ramesh. He gets more and more ill under instructions and his wife Kamla suddenly finds out that in Raju — her "elder sister" — is the cure for the life of Ramesh. IN MEMORY OF "DEVDAS" To make events picturesque after the release of Raju from jail, Ramesh goes out in the famous Devdas cart sitting like Saigal, but this time the cartman doesn't sing the song of philosophy. As no one is seen singing, and as the only thing observed is the tongue of one of the bullocks moving in and out, we are led to believe that the bullock is singing that song. We don't dispute it and give the bullock his due. He gives a better performance than the buffalo in "Dnyaneshwar." Ultimately this tangle dissolves itself into something more tangible and Ramesh gets Raju as his second wife in addition to Kamla. It is peace thereafter. Tho numerous "touches" of Director Balwant Bhatt so many times touch the audience that they feel like running away from the picture with a touch-me-not gesture. TIMIR MUSIC The music of Timir Baran is either exactly 100 years in advance of our time or utterly useless and unsuitable. It is too mysterious to be melodious and too much out of tune to be musical. It belongs to the dark ages. Photography of this picture calls for another award from the Technicians' Association (as in the case of "Laxmi"). We advise glare glasses for sensitive eyes, if they have to sit through the whole picture. Sound is another case for Technicians' award. Dialogues are good in parts. But at places they are too pedantic. No one has given a good performance. Mazhar came n^ar to giving one, but his funny lco\.ing wig took the effect away. Circo must revise their production plans, if they are anxious to give their shareholders a dividend next year. Pictures like "Sohag" don't pay dividends. 54