FilmIndia (Jan-Jul 1943)

Ratan Bai Challenges Our men Producers "Deep Thinking" Is Her Only Hnbby By. Sushila Rani As she came in, I thought Lady Godiva had walked in — of course, without the horse and with the clothes on. The significant thing about her was her long flowing hair touching the ground. It puzzled me a lot to find a star preserving that length in these days, when different hair-does are in vogue. I asked her how she managed all that growth and Ratan Bai replied: "My mother looks after it" . At least, that is one more thing good about having a mother. I was a bit nervous about meeting Ratan Bai, as I had thought that she would floor me in a minute with her excellent Urdu doled out through the poems of Zafar or Ghalib. Not so! Ratan Bai had a surprise waiting for me in her remarkably beautiful English accent which suggested that she had just escaped from a college. I was puzzled remembering what Baburao had once told me that eight years back Ratan Bai did not know a word of English. Catching my thought in its flight Ratan replied, "You are surprised that I talk English. Everyone who comes from Baburao is always surprised. Yes, he must have told you that years back I did not know a word of English . He is right . Eight years ago, when I came to Bombay all that I knew was a "Good-morning," and I often used it in the evening. But Baburao laughed at me so long and so loud that I took up the challenge and beat him at his game of English." Suddenly she turned round and with an infectious smile asked me, "Am I good now?" I admitted that she was good — too good — but with Ratan Bai languages should come in easily, because she is almost a linguist, seeing that she already knows seven languages. As regards Urdu, what Ratan Bai speaks is Urdu — the rest — is Billingsgate. I still remem ber the huge mouthfuls of beautiful Urdu which she flung at one and all even without provocation in that beautiful picture, "Yahudi-ki-Lad |M.» That was years back. Since then Ratan has travelled a long way through sheer sweat and toil to reach the heights of stardom. A STAR OVERNIGHT Born at Patna on 12th June 1912, Ratan is a home-educated product. As a child, she was fond of seeing pictures, as a woman she is making them today. While still a kid, she was taken to Calcutta, but it was not till May 1932, that she got her first chance for acting with the New Theatres in "Yahudi-ki-Ladki" . Ratan Bai, film star and producer, now features in her own film , "Saheli", a social story. Ambitious at all times, and at ail hours of the day, Calcutta soon became a small place for Ratan. So in 1934, she landed in Bombay with a contract for Eastern Art Productions. Her very first picture in Bombay "Bharat-ki-Beti" captivated the audiences and disarmed the critics. Next year she made two more pictures for the Kolhapur Cinetone, but again in 1936 she returned to Bombay to act in some more pictures for the Imperial Film Company. Since 1938 Ratan has become a free-lance artiste and has starred, off and on, in several pictures, but today she is making her own pictures and is therefore known as a producer— rather a doubtful recognition tn these times. In India, considering the fact that women have not been allowed the same status as men, Ratan's distinction in this field is really praiseworthy. For besides hard work and perseverance, this charming ladiy is endowed with a rare business acumen which will take her a long way in life. Her maiden effort as a producer is called "Saheli" in which she plays the lead opposite Sanyal. Of course, like other producers she threatens to give us more pictures and we only hope that they are good. She is modest when she says that her acting has not yet reached the standard she has in mind. Ratan Bai is not a bragging sort, like some other film girls I have met but from what I have seen of Ratan's acting, I feel that she is far above many, many, whom I have seen making faces on the screen. Ratan feels that tragic portrayals suit her best. I agree. BELIEVES IN LOVE AND HOME Though a star, forging many a love-scene for the screen Ratan believes in love — the real stuff that comes along once in a lifetime, — and incidentally she also votes for the traditional warm and happy 'home'. Married at fifteen, she has contributed to her home two sturdy sons who are fulfilling their mother's intense desire of English education. It is difficult to draw things out of Ratan Bai. Every question is ans 49