FilmIndia (Jan-Jul 1943)

OUR REVIEW Prabhat Produces fl Headache ! "Ten O'clock" Becomes Dull And Insipid ! Raja Nene Fails In Direction I There are certain producers who need a sympathetic review to inspire them to greater effort. But in case of Prabhat no sympathy is asked and none given, because Prabhat's have been at the top of the ladder all these years and with their experience and success, people expect only outstanding pictures from them — more so because of their time-worn boast of producing only prlo^essive and purposeful pictures for the good of the country and its people. "Ten O'clock" is neither a progressive nor a purposeful picture. It is a silly college romance produced in a slip-shod manner and it neither entertains nor instructs. Raja Nene, its director, had the unique opportunity of being trained for years under Mr. V. Shantaram, India's greatest director. But after seeing "Ten O'clock" with a critical eye, one is forced to the conclusion that young Raja Nene seems to have either wasted his time all these years when he had the opportunity to learn or lacks the executive capacity to harness his training for the practical direction of a picture. OPENS WITH BOREDOM! The picture opens with an awfully boring scene of a prize distribution gathering at a college. The scene was intended to introduce the heroine. Asha and the hero, Dilip, who is incidentally a great scholar inspite of his poverty. This could have been done very effectively, without boring any one, within a hundred feet of film. But Raja Nene, evidently a passionate lover of details, has shown the whole painful procedure throwing in some ceremonial but tiresome lectures by "sundries". Before the prize-distribution scene is over, every one in the audience looks fed up with it all. The story is that Asha a costudent, daughter of a wealthy man is in love with Dilip, a brilliant scholar but poor in worldly belongings. Dilip, as shown in the picture, looks like the average college pansy -boy whom we meet so often in the streets — complete with the dreamy vacant look and little effeminate gestures which replace manly good manners. As a type representing reality, the portrayal is good but as the hero of a social picture, paresh Bannerji fails to appeal. TEN O' CLOCK Producers: Prabhat Film Co. Languages: Hindustani & Marathi Review of: Hindustani Version Story: Kashyap & Pawar Hindi Dialogues: Ashant Cameraman: E. Mohammad Sound: S. Damle Cast: Urmilla, Paresh Bannerji, Manajirao, Vasant Thengdi, Baby Shakuntala etc. Released At: Central Cinema Date of Release: 21st Nov. 1942. Director: RAJA NENE "Asha" acted by Urmilla is another disappointment. She is supposed to be a college girl but her accent of the few English words she speaks is awful and her performance betrays the fact that all is not what it should be. Her appearance is also not suitable for a heroine's role. People are used to seeing pleasant faced heroines and not a nose stuck on a dried pomegranate. LOVE ON THE RUN Asha is in love with Dilip and Baby Shakmtala provides the small relief we get in "Ten O'clock". Dilip reciprocates that love. But Asha's father, as was expected, has the usual material complex and arranges Asha's marriage with Dr. Ramesh, an England-returned surgeon with a good family tree and money in addition. This creates the usual love complications seen in a thousand pictures before. Asha agrees to marry Dr. Ramesh for the sake of her old father, but on the day of the wedding, she faints and the wedding has to be postponed. Through a subsequent illness Dr. Ramesh nurses Asha back to health and Asha soon ends the suspense by refusing to marry Dr. Ramesh and calls him a brother. Dr. RamOsh, acted by Vasant Thengdi, is a pretty ridiculous portrayal. Dr. Ramesh does not even seem to know how to carry a suit though he has spent years in England. Dr. Ramesh seemed to have collected weight on his hips which weight only lends effeminate grace to his gait. There is nothing of the surgeon in him — in his poise, in his gait or even in his face beyond a pair of rimless spectacles. Why don't these actors study the 75