Dushman (1939 film)

Last updated

Dushman
Directed by Nitin Bose
Written byNitin Bose
Produced by New Theatres
Starring
CinematographyNitin Bose
Edited bySubodh Mitter
Music by Pankaj Mullick
Production
company
Release date
1939
Running time
144 min
Country India
Language Hindi

Dushman is a 1939 Hindi social romantic drama film. It was directed by Nitin Bose for New Theatres Calcutta Production. [1] The film starred K. L. Saigal, Leela Desai, Najmul Hassan, Prithviraj Kapoor, Nemo and Jagdish Sethi. The music was composed by Pankaj Mullick and the lyrics were written by Arzu Lucknavi. Nitin Bose besides directing also wrote the story and wielded the camera for the film. The dialogue writer was Sudarshan. [2] The story subject about tuberculosis was suggested as a propaganda film by Viceroy Lord Linlithgow and his wife, who were then the Chairman and Patron of King George’s Tuberculosis Fund. [3]

Contents

The film is about two friends who want to marry the same girl unknowingly till one of them discovers he has tuberculosis. He decides to sacrifice his love but ends up in a sanatorium where he is treated.

Story

Mohan (K. L. Saigal) and Gita (Leela Desai) are friends and discover they are in love. Gita visits Mohan at his house regularly and they also rendezvous at night by the lakeside where they listen to a tramp on his violin. Mohan is making plans on increasing his allowance while Gita is worried about his health. Mohan works at a radio station as a singer. His boss (Jagdish Sethi) at the radio station is rough and kind in turn. Mohan’s friend Dr. Kedar (Najmul Hassan) is also worried about his health and repeatedly suggests Mohan take a rest from work and the city for at least a year. He advises Mohan not to think of getting married till that time. Gita’s mother (Devbala) and Aunt (Manorama Sr.) have found a suitable boy Dr. Kedar, for Gita without her knowledge. They invite him for tea where he brings Mohan with him. Mohan realises the set-up and leaves the house asking Gita to meet him at their usual place. He tells Gita that it’s time for them to stop meeting and wait for some time. Gita is upset and refuses to let him complete his conversation.

Mohan starts developing daily evening fevers and he tells Dr. Kedar over the phone, Kedar insists on taking care of him but Mohan refuses. Dr. Kedar visits Gita as they have planned to see a film together. However, Gita takes him to the rendezvous place where they are seen by Mohan. A distraught Mohan rushes from there not caring whether he lives or dies. He meets a doctor who is an assistant (Bikram Kapoor) at a sanatorium run by an old doctor (Prithviraj Kapoor). The doctor forces Mohan to come with him to the sanatorium. At the sanatorium after initial hesitation Mohan becomes interested in the working and finances of the hospital. The Chief says that they can’t forcibly treat TB patients but maybe in the near future it may be rendered compulsory and then maybe they can get help. But first they have to make the people aware of the problem. A radio station comes to their help to set up a connection from the sanatorium.

Since Mohan was in the first stages of TB he starts improving and sings on the radio to make an appeal. The song is heard by Gita who has a nervous breakdown. Dr. Kedar sees this and understands about Gita and Mohan. He tells Gita’s mother that if she truly wants to help her daughter then she will try to understand her needs and see what it is that Gita really wants. On gaining consciousness Gita takes the car and speeds in it to the sanatorium. Kedar sees her and follows. Gita’s car meets with an accident outside the sanatorium. She is brought in unconscious and wounded. Mohan was planning to leave for a couple of days to attend what he thinks is the marriage of Kedar and Gita. The Chief who’s heard his story earlier stops him and takes him to where Gita is lying covered in bandages with Kedar by her side. Kedar happily points out Mohan to Gita. The Chief leaves them telling Mohan to make sure that Gita never drives rashly again. Mohan promises.

Cast

Production

The producers needed raw stock for their films, so they tried to please the authorities in making films with subject to their liking. Even Nitin Bose had to deal with this situation. [4] When the idea about tuberculosis was proposed as a propaganda film by Viceroy Lord Linlithgow, Nitin Bose wrote the story and used Pankaj Mullick's music and Saigal's voice. [3] Nitin Bose who had earlier shown no interest in casting Saigal for his films having once stated that he could not use Saigal as his camera lens would crack at the sight of the "uncouth youth" signed him for several films after the success of Devdas (1935). [1]

Soundtrack

Pankaj Mullick gave the music for this film and also sang his version of the K. L. Saigal song "Karun Kya Aas Niraas Bhayi". The lyrics were written by Arzu (Arzoo) Lucknavi. All songs in the film were by K. L. Saigal. [5] [6]

Songs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pankaj Mullick</span> Indian music composer and singer (1905–1978)

Pankaj Kumar Mullick was an Indian music composer, playback singer and actor, who was a pioneer of film music in Bengali cinema and Hindi cinema at the advent of playback singing, as well as an early exponent of Rabindra Sangeet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Theatres</span> Indian film studio

New Theatres is an Indian film studio. It was formed in Calcutta by producer B. N. Sircar. It was formed on 10 February 1931. Motto of this company was– Jivatang Jyotiretu Chhayam. Sircar preferred to function roughly analogous to what in USA was known as an executive producer. He built a processing laboratory... and got around him a devoted band of people.... Having decided on or approved a story or a subject for a film and the team to make it [Sircar] ensured that adequate funds were provided... but refrained from interfering with its execution. He made New Theatres a symbol of Bengali cinema's artistic good taste and technical excellence.

Kapoor or Kapur is a Punjabi surname of Khatri clan found in the Punjabi Hindu and Sikh communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leela Desai</span> Indian actress

Leela Desai, aka Lila Desai, was an Indian actress in the 1930s and 1940s. She was the daughter of Umedram Lalbhai Desai and his second wife Satyabala Devi, a musician of the early 1900s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birendranath Sircar</span>

Birendranath Sircar was an Indian film producer and the founder of New Theatres Calcutta. He made Bengali-language films that were noted for introducing many film directors who later became famous. He was awarded the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1970 and the third highest civilian award in India, the Padma Bhushan, in 1972.

Lagan is a 1941 Indian Hindi language film. It was the fifth highest grossing Indian film of 1941. The film was directed by Nitin Bose for New Theatres Ltd. Calcutta. The film was a bilingual with K. L. Saigal and Kanan Devi acting as the lead in its Bengali language version, Parichaya. The music for both versions was by R. C. Boral. This was the last film Saigal did for New Theatres, Calcutta, before his move to Bombay to make films for different studios there.

Street Singer is a 1938 Hindi film directed by Phani Majumdar. It was produced by New Theatres Calcutta and was Phani Majumdar's first Hindi film as a director. The film was made in Bengali as Sathi in the same year. It starred K. L. Saigal, Kanan Devi, Jagdish Sethi and Bikram Kapoor. The music was composed by R. C. Boral with lyrics written by Arzu (Arzoo) Lucknavi. Two street urchins dream of singing and making it big in the glamorous world of theatre in Calcutta. They grow up with the girl being employed while the boy is not. The story follows them through first their enchantment and then the disillusionment with the theatre. Finally both choose to return to their roots in the village.

Dharti Mata is a 1938 Hindi social film directed by Nitin Bose. The film was also made and in Bengali as Desher Mati in the same year by New Theatres. It starred K.L. Saigal, Uma Shashi, Jagdish Sethi, Kamlesh Kumari, and K. C. Dey. The music was by Pankaj Mullick and lyricist and dialogue writer was Pandit Sudarshan. The story, screenplay and cinematography was by Nitin Bose. The story is about two friends Ashok and Ajay, one interested in agriculture and the other in technology. Ashok goes to the village to help the farmers while Ajay goes to UK for higher studies in engineering. The film highlights the need of technology and new concepts for effective farming.

President is a 1937 Hindi social romantic drama film from New Theatres. The Bengali version was called Didi. The direction, screenplay and cinematography were by Nitin Bose. The film starred K. L. Saigal, Leela Desai, Kamlesh Kumari, Jagdish Sethi, Prithviraj Kapoor and Bikram Kapoor. The story according to the credit roll of the film is "A tale of love and greater love" developed on an idea by M. M. Begg. It was a love triangle with a social content that highlighted the conditions of the mill workers. It was also the first film to show a liberated educated woman managing her own factory.

<i>Daku Mansoor</i> 1934 Indian film

Daku Mansoor also called Karishma-E-Kudrat is a 1934 Hindi/Urdu costume action drama film directed by Nitin Bose. The film was produced by New Theatres Ltd. Calcutta and the music director was R. C. Boral. The cast of the film included K. L. Saigal, Uma Shashi, Prithviraj Kapoor, Husnbanu, Pahari Sanyal and Nemo. Daku Mansoor was actress Husn Banu’s debut film.

Karodpati is a Hindi 1961 comedy film directed by Hemchander Chunder. The film was produced by New Theatres Ltd. Calcutta, and the music was composed by R. C. Boral with the assistance of Pankaj Mullick. The lyrics were written by Kidar Sharma who also acted in the film. The film starred K. L. Saigal, Sardar Akhtar, Molina Devi, Pahari Sanyal, Nawab, Trilok Kapoor, Rajkumari, and Kidar Sharma. The film showcased K. L. Saigal performing a farcical-comedy role which was a different format from his normal tragedy based stories. The story revolves around a cinema-crazy young man who wins a lottery, leading to a series of comedic situations when his friends join him.

<i>Nartaki</i> (1940 film) 1940 Hindi film directed by Debaki Bose

Nartaki (Dancer) is a 1940 film directed by Debaki Bose for New Theatres Ltd, Calcutta. A bilingual made in Hindi and in Bengali, it had story and screenplay written by Bose, with cinematography by Yusuf Mulji. Music was composed by Pankaj Mullick. The cast had actress Leela Desai playing the title role of Nartaki. Najam also called Najam-Ul-Hasain or Najmul Hussain had left Bombay Talkies following his affair and elopement with Devika Rani, had now joined New Theatres Ltd, where he was cast in films like Anath Ashram (1937), Dushman (1939), Kapal Kundala (1939), and Nartaki. The rest of the main cast included Jagdish Sethi, Wasti and Pankaj Mullick in the Hindi version.

<i>Jiban Maran</i> 1939 Indian film

Jiban Maran is a social drama film directed by Nitin Bose, made in 1939 in Bengali language and was remade in Hindi as Dushman, and was produced by New Theatres.

<i>Mukti</i> (1937 film) 1937 Indian film

Mukti is a 1937 Indian Hindi and Bengali-language drama film, directed by Pramathesh Barua and produced by New Theatres.

References

  1. 1 2 Patel, Bhaichand (2012). Bollywood's Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema. India: Penguin Books. ISBN   9780670085729.
  2. ↑ "Dushman (1939)". knowyourfilms.com. knowyourfilms. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 Garg, B. D. (2005). Art of Cinema. UK: Penguin UK. ISBN   9788184754315 . Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  4. ↑ Vinayak, Purohit (1988). Arts of Transitional India Twentieth Century. India: Popular Prakashan. ISBN   9780861321384 . Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Singh, Surjit. "Songs From Dushman 1939". hindi-film-songs.com. Surjit Singh. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Dushman 1939". hindigeetmala. hindigeetmala. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.