Filmindia (1941)

OUR REVIEW Devika Rani Disappoints! ''Punar Milan"— A Goody-goody Picture Snehaprabha Gives Outstanding Performance This picture of Bombay Talkies hardly adds to their reputation as producers of outstanding hits like "Acchut Kanya", "Kangan" and "Bandhan." In comparison, this is a poor picture — poor in conception, poor in development and poor in presentation. However, the excellent reputation of the producers is making it a box-office success and that is important to an industriallyminded company like the Bombay Talkies. The story is built on a crime. The crime of a drunken man at the birthday celebration of his son becomes the key-stone of the whole plot. In an argument, the old father kills a guest. The son takes the guilt on himself and runs away from home to save his father. The father is shocked and paralysed. He becomes speechless. The son goes to the city and struggles and starves till he gets shelter from a street dancer. The street dancer falls in love with him and continues to earn for the boy. Then the old father of the boy comes to the city for medical treatment with the sister of the hero. By a too familiar cinematic coincidence the sister comes across the street dancer. Then follows some usual villain-cum heroine plusherocum-side-hcroine sequences which enci in the hero being arrested by the police. Now the father gets his tongue back and confesses his guilt. And having lived so long for that, he dies satisfied with the thought that his son is going to, after all, marry a street dancer. DEVIKA RANI DISAPPOINTS! That is the story in short which Devika Rani, Sarandindu Bannerjee, Gyan Mukherjee and Amiya Chakrabarty, set out to tell and have told us in the most unenterprising way possible. Every one had expected the first screen presentation of Devika Rani, as a producer, to be something more intellectual, more polished in presentation and more enterprising than "Punar Milan." Every one had thought that in the close association of her great husband, Devika had learnt the invaluable secret of producing the usual slick and chic pictures in which Bombay Talkies are known as pioneers. But alas, Devika, the beautiful and incomparable Devika, has rudely disappointed ail her followers. In her very first essay as a producer, she has PUNAR MILAN Released By. Bomhay Talkies Ltd. Story: Saradiyidu Banner jee Scenario: Chakrabarty & G. Mukherjee Photography: R. D. Pareenja Recording: M. I. Dharamsey Music: Ramchandra Pal Dialogues: J. S. Casshyap Cast: Snehaprabha, Kishora Sahu, Shah Nawaz, Anjali Devi Etc. Released At: Majestic Cine^na Date of Release: 21st Dec. '40 Direction: S. H. N. NAQVI badly let us all down. This purposely pointed criticism is in the general interest of the company which a great man founded and for which that man gave his life. Let Devika learn a little more before she takes up another assignment, remembering that an institution is greater than an individual. EXCELLENT RECORDING Coming to the picture, it has the usual good music which distinguishes the Bombay Talkies. But this time the dance and the music play their parts independently of the story and do not add to the interest Devika Rani — now a producer must learn a little more before she takes another assignment. of the subject. By themselves they are entertaining but they don't in any way push the story forward. The technique of story development looks therefore ten years old and makes several sequences boring. Photography is good in parts. If the cameraman had taken a little more nains in balancing his light in the outdoors, the result would have been more in keeping with the previous traditions of the studio. The sound recording is excellent and unusually so when one finds the thin voice of Snehaprabha effectively recorded. A STAR IS BORN Snehaprabha gives a beautiful performance. And she looks also quite attractive, thanks to the Bombay Talkies. Taking the burden of the whole story on herself, this talented little lady of the screen, acquits her responsibility with remarkable confidence and wins the admiration and applause of all. Here is a star, if a producer wants one. She is bound to reach great heights if her talents are suitably exploited. She sings, dances and acts and all this she does remarkably well. In striking contrast with his talented wife, Kishore Sahu gives a very insipid and impotent portrayal of a very easy and simple role. Moving like a cold dumb-bell, he strikes chill into the very bones of the au (Con. on page 59) 57