FilmIndia (Jan-Nov 1942)

Star With Strange, Fascinating Eges Kishore Sahu In Love Again Is Snehaprabha Forgotten ? By: Hyacinth If anyone asked me what Kishore Sahu was like I could say that he was five feet nine inches tall, weighed ten stone and had a wide brow and curly hair. But that would not be giving a true picture of him. I would be nearer to the point if I said he had the dreamy look of a poet, dressed like a gigolo and had the manner of a very new and over-anxious salesman. By this last statement I mean that Kishore is anxious to 'sell' himself to everyone he meets. Like all sensitive people he likes to be liked. This is a young and very endearing quality in him. Kishore at twenty-five is the sort of ycung man old ladies like to mother and young women commit suicide over. He is aggressively masculine and charmingly helpless all at once. He has what the world of society would call a 'good background'. His grandfather was the Dewan of Raigarh State and Rajnandgacn and consequently the Sahu family is a wealthy one. Kishore himself was born in Drug and is the eldest of six children. He did his primary education in Chalisgarh and his college education in Nagpur where he graduated at the 'Gosh, I'm beautiful' age of twentyor.e. He was a brilliant student and was the Secretary of the English Literary Society, edited the college magazine and took part in college dramatics. His ambiticn even when he was in college was to be an actor, but he did not content himself with looking at himself fifty times a day in the mirror and saying 'Gosh, I'm beautiful. I'm sure any director will have me.' Instead he bought American journals about the film business and learnt from them about Old ladies like to mother the technique of acting and direction. Kishore's father was anxious that his son should go abroad and become a barrister but Kishore, young and impulsive, came to Bombay to seek his fortune as an actor. Let it be said however, that Mr. Sahu Senior, once he had seen how determined his son was to be an actor, did everything to help him and was a great source of encouragement to him. When Kishore arrived in Bombay he went straight to Bombay Talkies where he asked to see the late Mr. Himansu Rai. Mr. Rai took one look at Kishore and said "I've been waiting for you all these years." Kishore Sahu — once a glamour boy — now a film director. These very welcoming words must have sounded like music to the ears of young Sahu who in his wildest dreams could not have imagined such a pleasant reception. Kishore was then put into 'Jeevan Prabhat' with Devika Rani. Kishore may be quiet and modest but he does not suffer from an inferiority complex and was quite unimpressed by the fact that he was acting opposite the famous Devika. This first film of his was a tremendous success, but Kishore who is extremely ambitious left Bombay Talkies after this and floated a limited concern of which he was managing director and producer. This concern he called India Artists. They produced 'Bahurani' and Kishore acted in it and directed it. He was only twentythree years old then and according to him the youngest director in the world. "Bahurani" in which Kishore acted with Rose was a very good picture but was unfortunately not well exploited. It preached reforms about untouchability and illegitimacy and all the important critics thought highly of the picture. But unfortunately 'Bahurani' turned out to be just a flash in the pan for Kishore because soon after he disagreed with the financiers and walked out. Then he went back to Bombay Talkies where he played the lead in 'Punar Milan' which was a tremendous hit. Acting with him was the woman who shortly afterwards 41