FilmIndia (1948)

)UR REVIEW 'Aaj-Ki-Raat" Draws Huge Crowds! A Well-produced Social Story ! AAJ-KI-RAAT Producers: Famous Pictures Language: Hindustani Story: D. D. Kashyap Dialogue and Songs: Rajendra Krishna Music: Husnalal and Bhagat ram Photography: Surendra Pai Audiography: P. N. Arora Cast: Motilal. Yaqub, Surraiya, Shah Nawaz, etc. Released At: Minerva, Bombay Date of Release: 23rd January, 1918 Directed By: D. D. KASHYAP Famous Pictures seem to be goLg up gradually in popularity Lnd if the huge crowds at the Llinerva are any indication of Lublic approval, "Aaj-ki-Raat" uust be accepted as not only a rery popular entertainment but buite en impressive picture technically. j The most striking feature of ihis picture is its unusually pleaant photogrp^hy which has given in almost new personality to Surraiya, one of our ugly ducklings of he screen. Even her usually silly >yes look less silly and her unlertain nostrils look less repulsive, fhat is definitely a point scored \>y Cameraman Surendra Pai and !he pleasant impression thus •rcated by this girl helps her to put over a couple of popular >ongs very effectively. PRACTICAL LOVE I There is nothing very unusual In the plot but it contains quite L few sequences which are treated n an original manner. I Motilnl wants to shoot himself iiaving arrived at the end of hi> financial resources. Surraiya stops him from doing so and incidentally puts him on a slow-killing course — Love. Surraiya is a school teacher with her father, a drunkard. Her earnings help to purchase drinks for him. Raj Mehra, a trustee of the school, where Surraiya works, has a benevolent and affectionate eye on the young teacher. Motilal's and Surraiya's love soon finds an official excuse and Surraiya becomes Motilal's secretary. Love marches on blindly towards an engagement date when Anita Sharma turns up with a child and we are introduced to her as Motilal's wife. Now love gets its proverbial tears and Surraiya puts in a couple of tearful songs. The climax is soon hitched on to the serious illness of Motilal's little son who brings Mptilal back into the traditional home while Raj Mehra. who at one time looked like a probable -ex criminal, becomes a good samaiitan and gives a foreign study ticket to Surraiya who boards a T.W.A. plane. Love thus ends in a practical manner instead of the usual Leila-Majnu tragedy. Technically the picture is unusually smrrt. almost everything being smartly managed. The scenario, however, is a bit on the common side and suffers from familiarity. The dialogue is good while the music is of the popular variety, Surraiya. who has a sweet voice, rendering a couple of songs in a very catchy manner. WATCH RAJ MEHRA From the players, Shah Nawaz gives a very sincere performance the heroine's father. This man has a voice that acts according to the situation. Motilal plays the hero with his usual eclat but looks too old in comparison with Surraiya. Surraiya sings well and looks better than ever before. Her work has also improved under Kashyap'e direction. She doesn't do those idiotic Punjabi actions which we have seen so often in her previous pictures. Yaqub plays his usual carefree role of a. well-meaning social sponger in his usual slick manner. He provides the laugh in the entertainment. Raj Mehra. a newcomer, does very well ps a seemingly villainous type. He speaks well and fluently and deserves encouragement In short "Aaj-ki-Raat", though this name has little to do with the story, is a picture worth seeing and the crowds know tins. Nayantara and Hira Saw^nt are concerned about Sapru's condition in "Hua Savera", a Jivan Kala Chitra picture 13