FilmIndia (1948)

)UR REVIEW Jday Shankar's Challenge To Film Industry "Kalpana" Is An Artist's Dream In Celluloid When four years ago Uday iankaj announced his intention producing a film on his own, le film industry looked askance his presumtptuousness. True, was acknowledged the world er as a great exponent of the ance art and a matchless showan, still what did he know bout the technique of producing lms? So they forecast that ther his picture would never be roduced, and if somehow it was )mpleted, it would be an amaurish flop. Now "Kalpana'" is on the reen and Shankar has not only ^Indicated his reputation as a Heat showman and a great dan■kr but, through this picture, also ^Irown a challenge to the film Industry. Leave aside dancing Ihich is his own domain, let them Ime forward and produce someJing better in technique, in profiction value, in slick direction, in imaginative photography, in artistic compositions, in daring montage ! '"Kalpana" is a landmark in the history of Indian films — in the same way as "Admi" was a landmark in India, or as "Citizen Kane" was in Hollywood. It breaks completely with all the traditions of the Indian cinema, discards ad existing formulae, breaks new and virgin ground. It presents a new theme in a novel manner. It presents new artists, new musicians, new writers, and new technicians. What is more, its whole approach to the art of cinema is new and different from anything you have ever seen on the screen — Indian or foreign! DEVASTATING SATIRE Shankar delivers the challenge to the commercial cincmagnates right at the start. A meek-looking imaginative author goes to a lay and Amala — lovers in life, lovers on the screen. In ''Kalpana" they recreate the passionate rhythms of youthful love. KALPANA Producers: Stage and Screen Presentations Language: Hindustani Story: Uday Shankar Dialogue: Amritlal Nagar Lyrics : Sumitranandan Pant Bhil Folk Songs: Devilal Samar Dances: Uday Shankar Music: Vishnudas Shirali Art Direction: A. K. Sekhar Photography: K. Ramnoth Audiography: C. E. Biggs Cast: Uday Shankar, Amala, Lakshmi Kanlz, Farman Ali, etc. Released At: Excelsior and 4 other theatres, Bombay. Date of Release: 13th February 1948 Directed By UDAY SHANKAR Scthia type of film producer with his script which he proceeds to read out. "Kalpana" is that script! And after two and a half hours of an unparalleled feast of beauty and rhythm and drama and dancing (which represents the story being related by the author) , when in the end we see the author finishing his reading of the script, the producer rejects it summarily with the remark that it is all trash — no love, no romrnce. no duets, no comedy punches! No, he can never, NEVER, produce such a story!! Of course he will not commit any such mistake! And by this prelude and epilogue Uday Shankar has given his picture a touch of devastating satire on the Indian film industry which refuses to recognize originality and genius. Shankar anticipated all the criticism and abuse that interested parties are sedulously and diabolically showering on his brain-child. That is exactly what the producer (in the film) says at it< end. while rejecting the story. An 1 "Kalpana", depicted as it is as a ftory rejected by a film boss, becomes a challenge not only to the men but the principles that dominate our film industry. BEAUTY AND RHYTHM In a picture like "Kalpana" which is in a class by itself, the 41