FilmIndia (1945)

OUR REVIEW "Hamrahi" new Theatres9 Brilliant Production ! Radhamohan And Binota Share Acting Honours ! Bimal Roy's Excellent Beginning I HAMRAHI Producers: New Theatres Language: Hindustani Photography: Bimal Roy Sound: Bani Dutt Original Story & Dialogues: Jyotirmoy Roy Scenario: Bimal Roy Hindi Dialogues: Mohanlal Bajpai. Music: R. C. Boral Lyrics: 7aku Hossein Cas;: Radhamohan Bhatticharjee, Binota Bose, Rekha Mullick etc. Date of Release: 30th August Released At: Minerva, Bombay. Director: BIMAL ROY "Hamrahi" is a picture we loved to see for two reasons. Firstly because it is mainly a picture for intellectuals and as such fulfills the higher purpose for which the screen is intended. Secondly, because that one-time glorious firm of producers, New Theatres, has produced it and in doing so has once again raised new hopes in millions of people in this country, who have always loved a picture from New Theatres and who have always expected something highly artistic and idealistic to come from Bengal, not only to entertain but to establish a new milestone of progress in the Indian film industry. As ardent fans of New Theatres, we welcome this picture. "Hamrahi" is not a perfect picture. It is far from it. It is not even as good as some of the gre.j.t pictures given by New Theatres in the past. "Hamrahi" is, however, the best picture we have recently seen. In fact, it is unique in the fact tha: it is directed by Bimal Roy, who was till yesterday unknown as a director and that it presents unknown faces which leave behind vivid impressions. And not one of these faces is 1 screen face, in the popular sense, by the widest stretch of imagination. The theme of the story is common enough seeing that it has an ever green topical interest in the present world of capitalistic civilization. The story of conflict between capital and labour, the yawning gulf between the poor and the rich and the inspired struggles of a young man goaded by idealistic impulses, has been seen on the Indian screen several times before in more or less crude forms. "Hamrahi" however is not crude. It is a polished presentation of a familiar theme though cast in a rather narrow mould. The director seems to have stuck faithfully to his theme and presented it with the help of half-adozen artistes, forgetting completely the environments and the mass of humanity which are affected directly by the theme of the story. "Hamrahi" presents an universal human drama within the tiny compass of Anup, the poor hero, Gopa the rich heroine and Rajendra, the exploiting capitalist. Had Bimal Roy permitted his characters to move a little more in their environments, had he secured a sharp contrast between poverty and riches by portraying the wealthy side in glittering colours, had he allowed the masses to smile and sigh in sympathy with the struggles of the hero and the heroine and had he given the story an universal appea' rather than to have made it an experience of a few individuals, "Hamrahi" would have become a more colourful and effective picture. As it is, "Hamrahi" propagates its theme beautifully but because it is done through the tears and sufferings of a few, the picture loses its universal appeal. A FAMILIAR STORY The story is simple. Anup is a poor man who writes to maintain himself and his family of a sister and a mother. Sister Sumitra has in Gopa, a rich school friend. One day Sumitra is invited for a birthday party at Gopa's place but from there due to the narrow snobbishness of Rajendra's wife, Sumitra has to come away with an accusation of thieving levelled at her. Gopa, whose mind is already toying with the socialistic philosophy of life, makes up with Sumitra ami incidentally meets Anup. Here is a fine study of Tewari from "Ghulami," a patriotic story of Shalimar Pictures. 5!