FilmIndia (1945)

OUR REVIEW "Chand" Prouides Some Frivolous Entertainment ! Picture Lacks Intellectual Appeal This is supposed to be an instructional picture produced by Prabhat to meet the propaganda demands of the Government of India. It is, therefore, basically a half-hearted affair with a common story stamped at places with a Red Cross and punctuated at others with air-raid Sirens. The theme of the story is far-fetched and its development is frivolous and illogical from the beginning to the end. Murari, a young musician, is a musicdirector in a dramatic company belonging to Menaka. Murari has a tiny companion in Ghungru, who is shown as a precocious boy, making faces at the audience all the while. Murari receives an offer from a film company in Calcutta and he leaves Menaka and goes away to the city. Menaka, who is in love with him. follows him. On arrival in the city, Murari discovers that he cannot get the job promised to him owing to the machinations of Menaka. Murari and ~fhe -Oxttst in Ifou u/ill -(-Ipptecidte tk& (?oloat /Slendi PRINTERS, LITHOGRAPHERS BLOCKMAKERS AND BOXMAKERS Litho Dept: SEKSARIA MILLS Compound, PAREl. Tel. 61578 Letter Press: SANKL1 STREET. B V C U L L A, Tel. 45594 Ghurgru are now stranded in the big city of Calcutta and some silly interludes of parking themselves in the city park now follow without convincing anyone. Ultimately, Murari manages to secure a quarter, without a pice in his pocket, in a building belonging to Seth Jwala Prasad, a cotton magnate. Here he opens a music class and gives some scope to the chimpanzee antics of Ghungru. As is expected, Murari doesn't get any business and on the eve of his departure, he clashes with Raj Kumari, the daughter of Seth Jwala Prasad and after some unimaginable and unconvincing intellectual gymnastics, the story-writer manages to compel Raj Kumari to fall in love with Murari. CHAND Qamar Jalalabadi Producers: Prabhat Film Co. Story: D. D. Kashyap Lyrics & Dialogues: Music: Hasan Ali & Bhagat Ram Photography: Surendra Pai Sound: Damle and another Cast: Begum Para, Prem Adib, Sitara, Balakram and Sapru. Released At: Krishna, Bombay. Date of Release: 16th Dec. 1944 Director: D. D. KASHYAP. Murari's romance with Raj Kumari continues for some time and ends as quickly as it began on the grounds of suspicion. Murari and Ghungru are once again on the streets but by the usual filmic coincidence, Murari secures a job in the office of Seth Jwala Prasad as a clerk, while Ghungru becomes a peon. Once again, Raj Kumari and Murari clash, but this time in the conflict are heard tunes of mutual harmony. Just at this time, Jwala Prasad thinks of getting his daughter married to the son of a rich merchant in Delhi. The intended bridegroom, when he arrives in Calcutta, is sent back by Ghungru, Khursheed attracts attention "Mumtaz", a Ranjit picture. who frightens him with the fear of air-raids. Very soon, matters reach a climax in which Seth Jwala Prasad is appraised of the romance between his daughter and Murari and he flies into a temper and asserts his authority. Murari is sacked. Raj Kumari leaves her home and becomes a Red Cross Nurse. Seth Jwala Prasad becomes suddenly poor. The bridegroom-elect refuses to marry a poor man's daughter. Impoverished Jwala Prasad gets back his wisdom and starts searching for his daughter and Murari. All this while, Menaka has been on the trail of Murari, and she reclaims him as soon as he is on the streets again. And now the story reaches the grand climax which provides a terrible mixup of a stage performance, air-raids over Calcutta, emotional situations between Menaka and Raj Kumari, a community song by Ghungru, a sprinkling ot Red Cross nurses with hSegum Para in the costume of mercy, Jwala Prasad running to and fro and everyone including the story-writer and the director running helter-skelter to hold the end of the story and to hand it over to the audience finally. It ends with Menaka surrendering her love for Murari in exchange for the nurse's uniform from Raj Kumari. The stage dancer makes the supreme sacrifice and the good lovers of the world are united. 37