FilmIndia (Jan-Nov 1942)

July 1942 FILM INDIA to England where he toured the studios and learnt some more about the film industry. After his tours abroad were over Hari returned to India and went straight to Calcutta where he stayed for six months studying the Indian film industry. This was in 1931 and he was attached to New Theatres. After that Hari joined Eastern Art Productions Ltd. in Bombay as a partner and also took an interest in the production side of the business. He produced about eight films and directed one picture called "Yasmin". Now get this straight. Hari never wanted to be an actor. He wanted only to be a director and producer but Fate intervened and his career as an actor began. This is how it happened. In the first film Hari produced "Prem Pariksha", one of the characters was a villain who had just returned from England. Nowhere could an actor be found, polished enough, to play the role and then someone suggested that Hari should take the part. Very reluctantly he agreed but it was fortunate that he did because he gave a superb performance and the critics wrote glowing accounts of his success as an actor. Hari who is never shy to pay himself compliments says "I could easily have taken the hero's part because I was much better looking than the man who took the rolo of the hero." WORKING AND PAYING C.C.I. After this, his first success as a villain, Hari was asked to work in other films but he was always made the villain. Then the concern that Hait was working in closed down and he became a free-lance actor. He has given up directing completely and Is acting now in several pictures all at once. They are Circo's "Nai Duniy;.". National Artists' "Marvee" and in Chitra's "Between You And Me". He is the villain in two of these pictures but in "Marvee" in which he acts with Mazhar Khan and Kaushalya he is a hero. His eyes worked overtime at Vienna. Hari was away from the film industry for two years and only returned last August. He spent his time touriog in Northern India. He would like to return to the production side of the business but as he is getting about Rs. 2000/ a month he is content to carry on being an actor. You know he has to worry about C.C.I, bills. Of the actresses he admires Leela Chitnis' acting ability most and thinks Naseem the most beautiful of the actresses. He feels that he is a real hero for being brave enough to make this statement because be knows that many of the other actresses will be enraged by it. Hari is perhaps the only film star to whose name there is no scandal attached. People may say "That man is a villain on the screen and he looks a villain in real life too " but they can never actually pin a single evil deed on to him. Perhaps he is too clever — perhaps not. He lives at Colaba with his younger brother, and his brother's wife does the housekeeping for both brothers. She hasn't decided as yet whether it takes her more time to keep her husband's things tidy or her brother-in-law's, but she wishes that Hari didn't have so many clothes. He loves good clothes and spends a great deal of money buying them. His tailors are Punjab House. They perhaps permit long credit terms. JEKYLL AND HYDE CAREER Hari leads a double life. He is both a hard-working film star and a young gentleman of society. Once he leaves the studios he has nothing to do with film people and mixes only in "high society". We think he is a snob and has no right to treat with scorn his fellow workers, in the industry out ox which he makes so much mcnej' . He is very popular at the C.C.I, and when he enters the club is hailed even by people he doesn't actually know. Hari has several qualifications which prove he is a valuable member of society. He is an excellent dancer and bridge player. That is what he says. But Hari has the happy knack of being able to adapt himself to any society and when he is with film people he is equally popular. He has a keen sense of humour and often has his fellow workers convulsed with laughter. He is not however a practical joker because he is kind hearted and does not like to raise a laugh at someone else's expense. Hari likes to call himself a polished American actor and his acting is very like that of Basil Rathbone and Conrad Veidt. To look at, he is a little like Melvyn Douglas and a little like John Boles, but he will not agree with me because in Hari's opinion there is no one in this world quite like Hari. He hopes that when the war is over he will be able to go back to Europ? to re-visit the cities he once lived in and to see how the war has affected them. But this time he goes to Europe he hopes he'll be abie to take a wife with him, his own, of course. He really is very anxious to get ma<ried and is looking round for a suitable girl who, he hopes, will not be scared of him because he's a screen villain. He would like her to be about twenty or twentytwo years old, well educated, a good hostess and a good social mixer. If she has all these qualifications, then Hari dcesn't mind if she is of any caste or creed. Here is an opportunity not to be missed all you spinsters. If any of you would like a handsome, sophi-j ticated man of the world for a husband then write to Hari Shivdasani at Bombay House, Kittridge Road, Colaba but don't expect "filmindia" to weep with you if Hari rejects you or proves a bad husband. 41