FilmIndia (1946)

FILMINDIA May, 1946 throughout. The emotional sequences are very poorly portrayed and almost every emotional situation in the picture has failed owing to poor direction. Not that there was not material enough for emotional work. There was plenty of it and more but Shantaram, who looks at a picture only through the camera lens, has rarely been good at emotional direction. In "Dr. Kotnis" he seems to have lost the grip of the emotional drama completely. The very opening of the story is faulty. We are straightaway introduced to Dr. Kotnis without telling us anything of the cause to which he had dedicated himself. And the cause was greater than this individual. Even later on, this cause and its national sponsors were never shown or described. The whole affair is wound up quickly in a momentary flash-back. And that was a stupid thing to do even for a commercial producer seeing that leaders like Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru were directly interested in the Medical Mission sent to China. It would have been good business to have pulled in the leaders and the Congress apart from maintaining the factual integrity of the subject. A POSSIBLE OPENING There were many ways of opening the picture and dramatizing the events related by Dr. Basu. It wouldn't be wise to write a com plete scenario of "Dr. Kotnis" now, but one of the openings that suggest to us could have been as follows:— Flash of the Sholapur Station. People getting down from a mail train. The postal bag being handed over to the local postman. Dissolve into the siren of a local mill, tilt down the camera to the main gate of the mill showing workers going home after the day's work. Dissolve into Kotnis Senior walking out of the mill gates. The durwan asks Kotnis Senior, "Kotnis Saheb, have you heard from Dwarka recently?" The old man rcplii-s rather anxiously: "Not for a month, I expect a letter every day." Dissolve. At Kotnis' House: Kotnis Snr. walks into the house and inquires from Mrs. Kotnis whether any letter has been received from Dwarka. The mother remembers the letter and rushes with it. Kotnis Snr. reads it and becomes grave. Mrs. Kotnis inquires whether anything has gone wrong. Kotnis Snr. replies Dwarka's final examination is near and — " Dissolve. Kotnis Snr. at meals. Listless and weighed with anxiety Mrs. Kotnis speaks: "Please eat something. Worrying won't improve matters. God is great.'' Dissolve. Kotnis and Mrs. Kotnis in two beds, side by side retired for the night. Mrs. Kotnis removes the single gold chain round her neck, looks at it fondly and places it under her pillow, turns to a side and sleeps. A little later Mr. Kotnis removes the chain from under Mrs. Kotnis' pillow, looks at it affectionately and places it undet his own pillow, turns to the other side and sleeps. A little later Mrs. Kotnis tilts up the edge of her husband's pillow, sees the gold chain there, smiles happily and goes to sleep. The psychological importance of this sequence, we leave to the reader. Next morning, Kotnis Senior is all hurry. He steps out of the house quickly. Dissolve. At a Pawn Broker's Shop: Kotnis Senior offering the gold chain and asking for money. The pawn broker, examining the chain, says "Rs. 20o|-? How many more chains have you still left Kotnis?" Kotnis replies with a sad smile "This is the last — But this money is for his final examination fees. My Dwarka will now become a doctor and he is a clever boy. Sholapur needs a man like him. Once he gets going, I shall take back all the ornaments pledged with you. Remember that." The pawn broker replies: "I shall return them with the greatest pleasure, Kotnis. You are truly a great father and God has given you a good son." Dissolve. At a Charitable hospital in Bombay: Dr. Kotnis, as a student is seen attend ing some surgical cases. Someone calh him "Dwarka — your money order" Kotnis runs up to take it. Receives the money — Hears the Hospital clerk telling a poor patient that without ten rupees, even free hospitals can't take X-ray plates in these times. Dr. Kotnb inquires about the patient, learns thai the patient is suspected of suffering from tuberculosis of the ribs, discovers the helpless poverty of the sufferer, pays the clerk Rs. io| from his money and goes away sad and smiling. As he steps into the streets, newspaper boys rush about with fresh editions, with headlines screaming "Japs Bomb Helpless Chinese", "Women & Children Maimed" "Thousands Die for Want Of Medical Help." Dr. Kotnis buys a paper and reads the headlines. Dissolve. In Allahabad: On the verandah of Anand Bhuvan, Pandit Jawaharlal Here is au attractive shot from "Rehana" produced by Girdhar Bahar Productions. SO