Ashok Kumar

Review
In 1942, the breakaway group from Bombay talkies formed itsown Film Studio – Filmistan. As Filmistan grew from strength to strength, Bombay Talkies began to decline and was making huge losses. Ashok Kumar, who used to be Bombay Talkies biggest star and who was part of the breakaway group to Filmistan, returned to his alma mater so to speak in the late 1940s to try and turn the company around. In the wake of this effort came Mahal, perhaps India’s first suspense and ghost story!Read More »

A splashy Bollywood musical for ’60s pop culture fanatics, Jewel Thief updates the old Prince and the Pauper identity switch to a Technicolor universe comprised of the filmmaker’s fondest bits from James Bond, The Pink Panther, and European comic strips, peppered with the usual spirited musical numbers. The result is an irresistible confection, just the kind of thing to throw on at a party to keep the guests’ eyes occupied.Read More »

Monish Rai comes from a wealthy family, and is in love with Deviyani, who is poor. Monish has to travel abroad to further his education in law, but promises to stay in touch with Deviyani. After his departure, financial problems surround Deviyani and her dad. She approaches Monish’s mom for assistance, but is refused. In desperation, her father gets her married to a much older man, who is also alcoholic and frequents courtesans. Deviyani gets pregnant and gives birth to a baby girl, Suparna. Unhappy with her marriage and her circumstances, she runs away. She approaches a nun, Mother Mary, in a monastery and leaves Suparna in her care and disappears forever. When Monish returns he runs into Deviyani, but is told that the person he has seen is a Lucknow based prostitute, Pannabai. Is Deviyani still alive? Who is Pannabai? What happened to Suparna?
—rAjOoRead More »

Along with Franz Osten and Himanshu Rai, Niranjan Pal was extremely important in the making of this film. A synopsis from his memoirs:

This story was about “the ill-fated love of a Brahmin boy for a scheduled caste girl. As no equivalent film title could be found for Level Crossing, Himansu agreed to Achhut Kanya much to my disgust. The film was shot, edited and readied for release in just eight weeks and turned out to be an outstanding success. The Congress leader, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, specially came to Bombay to see the film at the Roxy cinema and gave it unstinted praise. Devika was hailed as the Queen of the Indian screen, though Ashok Kumar was to wait for a few years before having a similar distinction.” (Such is Life), ed. Lalit Mohan Joshi and Kusum Joshi, p. 240).Read More »