Filmindia (1941)

OUR REVIEW "qfllDI" Is Unsuitable For Children Romola Gives A Popular Performance ! Story Lends Glamour To Crime This social picture the Film Corporation of India can hardly be trailed an original subject. It has been so completely inspired by ■■Algiers" featuring Charles Boyer that at many places one feels like seeing vital parts of the foreign picture. Of course, to prove the writer's pretensions of originality, "Algiers" has been changed a lot to become "Qaidi" and yet the poor attempt to copy is so obvious, that one cannot help but pity the poor story writer. In other places we recognise scenes from "Dharmaveer", specially the flower girl and her song, and parts from "Baghban", with flowers and prisoners. From the production point of view "Qaidi" is a distinct improvement over the previous productions of the producers and yet one cannot help but feel that all the labour, energy and money have been wasted when one stops to consider the unfortunate treatment of the subject. GLORIFIED CRIME Streamlined crime runs riot through the entire story. After the tirst pangs of hunger, there is an interlude of jail life and then the hero escapes to become a gang leader with power, romance, riches and thrills as a setting to his "heroic" career. He is shown as a modern Robin Hood, robbing the rich and paying the poor and in between extolling the philosophy that urges him to do so. Quite a popular role from the view point of the masses but at best it is a criminal's role and as such becomes menacing to the young minds because of the glamour surrounding it. The death of this criminal is also glorified by bringing it about in a Masjid through sheer accident rather than as a well-deserved punishment for his numerous crimes. The police Inspector, symbolising law and order, calls the criminal a friend and while arresting him states that he is doing his stern duty, thereby implying that his duty Is often divorced from humanity. In many other ways, the life of this criminal is glorified and made attractive throughout the picture and as the story is principally based on him, the other balancing features become merely incidental, and are soon forgotten. QAIDI Producers: Filvi Corporation of India Story and Dialogues: S. Fazli Songs: Arzu Photography: M. N. Malhotra Audiography: A. Hazra Music: B. Chatter jee Cast: Nandrekar, Mehtah, Romola, Monica Desai, Wasti. etc. Released At: Lamington Talkies Date of Release: 14th Dec. '40. Director: S. F. HASNAIN The final impression that is left behind is that crime as glamoured and glorified in the picture is certainly an attractive proposition in life. And from this point of view the picture is an unhappy fare for young children. AN INCIDENTAL STORY The film story is simple. Aziz, an impoverished graduate is looking out for a job with a mother, a sister and a brother dependent on him. He doesn't get the job. Starvation faces the family. The brother becomes very ill and dies. Aziz commits a crime to give his brother a decent burial, but is arrested and sent to prison. While in prison, his mother dies leaving his little sister on the streets. Years pass by. Aziz escapes from the prison and by a filmic coincidence is saved by his own sister who Romola makes the picture romantic. is now a dancer. He escapes to a convict settlement, immune from the police interference, and there becomes a gang leader. As a gang leader, he begins on a career of crime and falls in love with the niece of the previous leader whose ward Aziz had become. In between he meets the dancer, his sister but without knowing so. The climax is reached when, the dancer decides to renounce the world and retire and comes to Aziz's home to entrust her worldly belongings to him. She is, however, followed by the Police Inspector who surprises both of them and in an attempt to save Aziz the girl is shot dead. But before dying, Aziz comes to know that the dancer was his sister. Aziz surrenders himself to the custody of the Police but while passing the Masjid, he hears the call to prayer and rushes up the steps. One of the assistants of the Inspector thinking that Aziz was escaping shoots him dead. Simultaneously, to complete the tragic drama Salma, Aziz's sweetheart, also dies by a fall. POPULAR ROMOLA Nandrekar as "Aziz" has given a better performance than he did in "Hindusthan Hamara." His diction ( Cui/. oil vcige 43 ) 23