FilmIndia (1940)

September 1940 FILMINDIA them) — there are umpteen other things which could have been corrected, had the director given the picture a little more thought and care. QUITE A GOOD STORY "Bharosa" is a story of two friends, one in Africa and the other In India. The one in Africa is compelled to entrust his wife to the care of his friend in India. The friend in India abuses the confidence and seduces his friend's wife. The woman gets an illegitimate child — a daughter. Through years, the daughter grows and falls in love with the son of her illegitimate father. Her legal father does not know the clandestine sin of his wife who had died with sealed lips and he encourages the marriage between the two children to forge a further bond of friendship between two old friends. The other man, knowing his sin. tries to prevent the marriage, but the marriage ultimately takes place. However, immediately afterwards, remorse takes hold of him and he confesses his sin to the two youngsters, who find themselves as brother and sister though married. Unable to face the future, they seek recourse in suicide. It is quite a good story, well prepared for the screen. Had the dialogues been better, the picture would have become more forceful. The direction is modest, though far better than any previous attempt of Sohrab Mody. The photography, barring few faults here and there, is better than ever before. The recording is careless and unnecessarily so. The sets are beautiful and absolutely unnecessary in the story. The music side is unusually weak. CHANDRA MOHAN SHINES Chandra Mohan gives an outstanding performance — by no means any comparison with his performance in "Pukar" — but the best in the present circumstances. His final confession of sin is a beautiful piece worth a second visit. Mazhar needed more forceful direction. And po did Sardar Akhtar. The rest are too poor. That awful looking pair — Sheela and Naval — broke the back of the drama. They looked ridiculous, acted ridiculously and made the audience feel ridiculous. Sheela's entry on the screen is with a song, but when she unveils her fearful set of teeth, romance goes begging into the streets. Naval's long nose stuck on a haggard face poked the romance out of the hearts of the people. Producers must remember that ?. picture is a pictorial drama and the players must have pleasant and photogenic features as a primary need for the photoplay. And after all done and said, 1 like the picture. As I said before it is the best picture Sohrab Mody has produced since he started production and even in me now there is a new faith (Bharosa) born that in future Sohrab will go one better every time. Let me therefore wish him all luck.