Miss Mary (1957 film)

Last updated

Miss Mary
Miss mary 1957.jpg
Poster
Directed by L. V. Prasad
Written by Rajendra Krishan (dialogues)
Screenplay by Aluri Chakrapani
Produced by A. V. Meiyappan
Starring Meena Kumari
Kishore Kumar
Ganesh
CinematographyT. Muthuswamy
Edited by K. Shankar
Music by Hemant Kumar
Production
company
Distributed byAVM Productions
Release date
  • 15 February 1957 (1957-02-15)
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Miss Mary is a 1957 Indian Hindi-language comedy film [1] directed by L. V. Prasad. The movie is an AVM Production and directed by L. V. Prasad. A remake of Prasad's 1955 Telugu-Tamil bilingual film Missamma / Missiamma , [2] the film stars Meena Kumari in the titular role, Kishore Kumar and Ganesh(Gemini Ganesan). The music was by Hemant Kumar with the lyrics and dialogue written by Rajendra Krishan. The songs were sung by Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Geeta Dutt and Mohammed Rafi.

Contents

Meena Kumari, who was to later become famous for her tragedy roles meriting the sobriquet "The Tragedy Queen", acted in a few light-hearted roles in the 1950s in films such as Azaad (1955), Mem Sahib (1956), Shararat, Kohinoor (1960) and Miss Mary. [3] Miss Mary was one of the biggest hits of that year. [4] The film was dubbed in Sinhala as Ahinsaka Prayogaya. [5]

Plot

The story is about Arun (Ganesh), an unemployed teacher who comes across an advertisement offering a job at the Laxmi School with the proviso that only married couples need apply. He meets Miss Mary (Meena Kumari), a Christian girl who is badly in need of a job to pay off her parents' debt. Arun suggests that she pose as his wife after he witnesses her getting harassed by John (Randhir), her potential suitor to which her father owes money. They hire Nakdau (Om Prakash), a beggar-cum-conman as a servant to keep up the pretense. The school owners (Rai Saheb and his wife), are looking for their long lost daughter Laxmi (hence the Laxmi School), who went missing sixteen years ago and the only thing tying her to them is a locket and an identification mark in the form of a mole on her left foot. They employ a detective Raju (Kishore Kumar) and his sidekick Chandragupta (Maruti) to find her. Raju is an orphan brought up as a nephew by the Rai Saheb. The old couple find a resemblance in Mary to their daughter and show her a photo of Laxmi that looks like her. Mary tells them that she can't be their daughter as she was brought up in a Christian environment by Christian parents.

Mary feels bad for lying about her married status to the Rai Saheb and his wife. She and Arun start liking each other in spite of their constant bickering. The owner's other daughter and Mary's biological sister Sita (Jamuna) has a fondness for Arun which upsets Mary. There are several comic sequences involving Raju and Chandragupta. The truth is revealed about Mary being the Rai Saheb's daughter Laxmi when her foster parents arrive. [6]

Cast

Production

B. Nagi Reddi, the producer of the original, was insistent on having L. V. Prasad direct the Hindi remake. [10] Gemini Ganesan (credited as Ganesh) reprised his role from the Tamil original Missiamma (1955) since Prasad felt that "there was no one who could do a dignified comedy in Hindi". [11] Jamuna, who was a part of both the Telugu original Missamma (1955) and Missiamma, reprised her role for the Hindi remake. [8] Kishore Kumar after spending five days idling in a hotel room, got fed up and starting cutting his hair on one side. He started cutting on the other side, and since he overdid it, he continuously cut his hair until he was called to come on set when he did not have much hair anymore. [12]

Themes and influences

Arun teaches Sita music using a piano, which was common in Hindi films of that time to signify wealth. [6]

Gemini Ganesan was credited with introducing a fresh touch of a well-groomed, sophisticated South Indian youth into the Hindi film hero persona. [13]

Soundtrack

The music and background score was composed by Hemant Kumar and the lyrics were penned by Rajendra Krishan. [14] All of the songs are different from the original soundtrack except for the song "Brindavan Ka Krishna Kanhaiya", which was reused from the song titled "Brindaavanamadi Andaridi" in Telugu and "Brindavanamum Nandakumaranu" in Tamil. [15]

The songs were popular, especially "Gaana Na Aaya, Bajaana Na Aaya" sung by Kishore Kumar, "Yeh Mard Bade Dilsard, Bade Bedard", "O Raat Ke Musafir Chanda Zara Bata De", "Brindavan Ka Krishna Kanhaiya" sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi. [16] Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, who first sang together in Ladli (1949), had a duet in the film: "Sakhi Ri Sun Bole Papiha Us Paar". Asha, despite her lack of training from her father Dinanath Mangeshkar and other Ustads, was able to follow Lata ably in her sargam-taan, keeping "perfect timing". [17]

Sukhpreet Kahlon of Cinestaan wrote that "Although Kishore Kumar isn't the hero of this film, he displays his musical talent in the song "Gaana Na Aaya". With lyrics like "O My Sita" and "Paplu Papita", the song is a nutty medley of various music forms and styles, which includes the nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice". [8]

Track listing

SongSinger(s)Ref.
"Sakhi Ri Sun Bole Papiha Us Paar" Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle [7]
"Saiyan Lag Jaa Gale, Aaja Mera Dil Jale"Lata Mangeshkar [6]
"So Gaya Saara Jahan"Lata Mangeshkar [7]
"Yeh Mard Bade Dilsard Bade Bedard" (Female)Lata Mangeshkar [7]
"Yeh Mard Bade Dilsard Bade Bedard" (Male) Mohammed Rafi [7]
"Pehle Paisa Phir BhagwaanMohammed Rafi [7]
"Brindavan Ka Krishna Kanhaiya"Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi [15]
"O Raat Ke Musafir Chanda Zara Bata De"Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi [7]
"Aayi Re Ghir Ghir Pehli Pehli Baadariya Geeta Dutt [6]
"Gaana Na Aaya, Bajaana Na Aaya Kishore Kumar [7]

Reception

Meher Baba and his disciple Mehera saw the film in Pune after being recommended the film by Baba's brother Jal, who said that the film was enjoyable. [18] Despite the film's box office success, Gemini Ganesan failed to establish a career in Hindi cinema. [6]

In 2012, a critic from The Hindu wrote that "If Prasad's direction is deft, camerawork by Muthuswami, aided by set designing of Shantaram, gives you alluring pictorial moments. A large credit for the film's appeal is also because of the slick editing by K. Shankar which never allows any scene to drag. So despite a fluffy story, watch Miss Mary for all the above reasons". [7] In 2015, Deepa Gahlot in her book Take-2: 50 Films That Deserve a New Audience, wrote that "Miss Mary had a rather bold plot for 1957 – an unmarried young woman pretending to be the wife of a stranger, for the sake of a job!" and concluded that "It must have been refreshing for audiences to watch a light hearted romance. It still is". [6] In 2022, a writer from IANS wrote that "Though typecast as a tragedienne, she [Meena Kumari] could do comic roles with aplomb too as seen in films such as Miss Mary (1957), Shararat (1959) and Kohinoor (1960) but she never got much of a chance. This was perhaps her biggest tragedy". [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lata Mangeshkar</span> Indian singer (1929–2022)

Lata Mangeshkar was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Her contribution to the Indian music industry in a career spanning eight decades gained her honorific titles such as the "Queen of Melody", "Nightingale of India", and "Voice of the Millennium".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mala Sinha</span> Indian actress

Alda Sinha, known by her stage name Mala Sinha, is a former Indian actress who mainly worked in Hindi, Bengali films. Initially starting her career with regional cinema, she went on to become a top leading actress in Hindi Cinema in the 1960s and early 1970s. She was known as the "daring diva" and "torch bearer of women's cinema" for essaying strong female centric and unconventional roles in a range of movies considered ahead of their times. Having received multiple accolades, Sinha received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

<i>Missamma</i> 1955 film directed by L. V. Prasad

Missamma is a 1955 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film directed by L. V. Prasad. It was produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani on Vijaya Productions banner. The film stars N. T. Rama Rao, Savitri, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Jamuna. The script was adapted by Chakrapani from Rabindranath Maitra's Bengali play Manmoyee Girls' School. It revolves around two unemployed people — M. T. Rao and Mary — who pose as a married couple to obtain employment in a high school founded by Gopalam, a zamindar. As Rao and Mary fall in love, Gopalam's nephew A. K. Raju learns that Mary is Gopalam's missing elder daughter Mahalakshmi; she is unaware of her true identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laxmikant–Pyarelal</span> Indian composer duo

Laxmikant–Pyarelal were an Indian composer duo, consisting of Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar (1937–1998) and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma . They composed music for about 750 Hindi movies from 1963 to 1998, working for almost all notable filmmakers, including Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shakti Samanta, Manmohan Desai, Yash Chopra, K. Balanchander, Boney Kapoor, J. Om Prakash, Raj Khosla, L. V. Prasad, Subhash Ghai, Mahesh Bhatt, K. Viswanath and Manoj Kumar.

<i>Parineeta</i> (1953 film) 1953 film

Parineeta is a 1953 Indian Hindi-language drama film starring Meena Kumari and Ashok Kumar, based upon the 1914 Bengali novella of the same name by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The film was directed by Bimal Roy. This version of the film is considered by many to be the most faithful adaptation of the novella, particularly due to Meena Kumari's interpretation of the role of Lalita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meena Kumari</span> Indian actress and poet (1933–1972)

Meena Kumari was an Indian actress and poet, who worked in Hindi films. Popularly known as The Tragedy Queen, she is regarded among the finest and greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema. In a career spanning 33 years, from child actress to adult, Kumari starred in over 90 films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vyjayanthimala</span> Indian actress, dancer and parliamentarian (born 1933)

Vyjayanthimala Bali, known mononymously as Vyjayanthimala, is an Indian parliamentarian, dancer and former actress. Regarded as one of Hindi cinema's finest actresses and dancers, she is the recipient of several accolades, including five Filmfare Awards and two BFJA Awards. Considered the first female superstar of Indian Cinema, she made her screen debut at the age of 16 with the Tamil film Vaazhkai (1949), and followed this with a role in the Telugu film Jeevitham (1950). Her first work in Hindi cinema was the social guidance film Bahar (1951), which she headlined, and achieved her breakthrough with the romance Nagin (1954).

<i>Azaad</i> (1955 film) 1955 Indian film

Azaad (transl. Free) is a 1955 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film produced and directed by S. M. Sriramulu Naidu. It was the top grossing Hindi film in the year of its release, and one of the biggest Hindi film hits in the decade. In addition, Dilip Kumar won his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his work in this movie.

<i>Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai</i> 1960 Indian film

Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai is a 1960 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film, produced by S. A. Bagar. It was written and directed by Kishore Sahu. The film stars Raaj Kumar, Meena Kumari and Nadira as leads. The film tells the story of a surgeon who is obligated to marry the daughter of a family friend, while he is in love with a colleague nurse, played by Meena Kumari. It is one of the noted acting performances of lead actress Meena Kumari's career.

<i>Dil Ek Mandir</i> 1963 Indian film

Dil Ek Mandir is a 1963 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by C. V. Sridhar and written by Raj Baldev Raj. The film stars Rajendra Kumar, Meena Kumari, Raaj Kumar and Mehmood. The film's music is by Shankar Jaikishan. All the songs of this film were hits and were loved by everyone. The film was a major hit and ranked fifth on the box office collection list. The film is a remake of Sridhar's Tamil film Nenjil Or Aalayam (1962), and was itself remade in Pakistan as Insaniyat in 1967.

<i>Ziddi</i> (1948 film) 1948 film

Ziddi (transl. Stubborn) is a 1948 Bollywood film directed by Shaheed Latif. It was based on a story written by Ismat Chughtai. The film helped establish its actors Dev Anand, Kamini Kaushal and Pran in Hindi films.

<i>Pyar Ki Kahani</i> 1971 Indian film

Pyar Ki Kahani is a 1971 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Ravikant Nagaich. It is a remake of the 1964 Tamil film Kai Kodutha Deivam. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Tanuja.

<i>Gomti Ke Kinare</i> 1972 Indian film

Gomti Ke Kinare is a 1972 Bollywood drama film, directed by Saawan Kumar Tak in his directorial debut. The film stars Meena Kumari and Mumtaz. It was the last release of Meena Kumari, and was released posthumously on 22 November 1972, 8 months after her death on 31 March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meena Khadikar</span> Indian playback singer and composer (born 1931)

Meena Khadikar is an Indian Marathi and Hindi playback singer and composer. She is the second eldest daughter of Pt. Deenanath Mangeshkar and sister of veteran singers Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar and Hridaynath Mangeshkar.

<i>Adl-e-Jehangir</i> 1955 film by G. P. Sippy

Adl-E-Jehangir also referred to as Adil-E-Jehangir, is a 1955 black and white Bollywood Hindi language historical drama film directed by G. P. Sippy. According to Sippy in an interview, it was the first film he directed, and it became a commercial success at the box office. The film had music composed by Husnlal Bhagatram, assisted by Shukla, with lyrics by Qamar Jalalabadi. A popular ghazal from the film was "Ae Meri Zindagi Tujhe Dhundhoon Kahan" sung by Talat Mahmood. The film starred Pradeep Kumar, Meena Kumari, Durga Khote, Sapru and Jankidas. Darpan, a leading Pakistani actor, also performed in the movie. He played the role of Prince Khurram.

<i>Missiamma</i> 1955 film by L. V. Prasad

Missiamma is a 1955 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by L. V. Prasad. Produced by B. Nagi Reddy and Aluri Chakrapani's Vijaya Vauhini Studios, the script was adapted by Chakrapani from the Bengali novel Manmoyee Girls School by Rabindranath Maitra. Missiamma also focused on social issues such as unemployment, corruption, and freedom of worship. Missiamma tells the story of two unemployed people of different religions and mentalities: Balu and Mary. They pose as a married couple to obtain jobs in a high school founded by Gopal, the zamindar of Aandipettai. As Balu and Mary fall in love, Gopal's nephew Raju learns that Mary is Gopal's missing elder daughter Mahalakshmi; she is unaware of her true identity.

<i>Tamasha</i> (1952 film) 1952 Indian film

Tamasha is a 1952 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Phani Mazumdar, starring Meena Kumari, Dev Anand and Ashok Kumar. One of the big hits of the year from Bombay Talkies produced by Ashok Kumar and Savak Vacha, "Tamasha" had a narrative far ahead of its times, its action spread over 16 eventful days. This movie is a copy of the Hollywood movie It Started with Eve

<i>Chand</i> (film) 1959 film by Lekhraj Bhakri

Chand is a 1959 Indian Hindi-language film starring Meena Kumari, Balraj Sahni, Pandari Bai and Manoj Kumar in lead roles. The film is directed by Lekhraj Bhakri and its music is given by Hemant Kumar.

<i>Rukhsana</i> (film) 1955 film by R. C. Talwar

Rukhsana is a 1955 Indian Hindi-language film starring Meena Kumari, Kishore Kumar in lead roles. The film was directed by R.C. Talwar who was also its writer and producer.

References

  1. ↑ Ganti, Tejaswini (2004). Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema. Psychology Press. p. 127. ISBN   978-0-415-28854-5. Archived from the original on 3 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  2. ↑ "Filmi cross-pollination: South Indian influence on 'Bollywood'". IANS . 30 April 2022. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2024– via The Times of India.
  3. ↑ Patel, Bhaichand (2012). Bollywood's Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema. Penguin Books India. pp. 131–. ISBN   978-0-670-08572-9 . Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  4. ↑ Sampath, Janani (12 June 2013). "The South-Bollywood hero brigade". The New Indian Express . Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  5. ↑ Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (November 2016). "Southern Skylark Susheela is Uncrowned Empress Of Tamil Film Songs ♫♥". D. B. S. Jeyaraj. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Gahlot, Deepa (2015). Take-2: 50 Films That Deserve a New Audience. Hay House. ISBN   978-93-84544-85-0. Archived from the original on 3 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mahaan, Deepak (16 March 2012). "Miss Mary (1957)". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kahlon, Sukhpreet. "An unconventional heroine". Cinestaan.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  9. ↑ Joshi, Namrata (4 June 2017). "Character actor Shivraj passes away". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  10. ↑ "Blast from the past: Missamma (1955)". The Hindu. 16 October 2014. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  11. ↑ "#100YearsOfGeminiGanesan: Remembering the thespian Gemini Ganesan". The Times of India . 16 November 2020. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  12. ↑ "I screamed, pretended to be crazy: Kishore Kumar". The Illustrated Weekly of India . 1985. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2024– via The Times of India.
  13. ↑ Raj, Ashok (2009). Hero Vol.1 - Volume 1. Hay House. ISBN   978-93-81398-02-9. Archived from the original on 3 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024. Gemini Ganesan [...] introduced in the Hindi film hero's persona a refreshing touch of a well-groomed sophisticated South Indian youth as seen in [...] Miss Mary (1957)
  14. ↑ "Miss Mary". hindigeetmala.net. Hindi Geetmala. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  15. 1 2 Rangaraj, R. (26 July 2020). "When legend with baritone made music for Tamil films". The Times of India . Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  16. ↑ Premchand, Manek (2021). Windows to the Soul: And Other Essays on Music. Notion Press. ISBN   979-8-88503-153-0. Archived from the original on 3 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  17. ↑ Ranchan, Vijay (2 January 2014). Story of a Bollywood Song. Abhinav Publications. pp. 100–. GGKEY:9E306RZQTQ7. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  18. ↑ Fenster, David (2021). Mehera-Meher: A Divine Romance. Meher Nazar Publications. p. 178. Archived from the original on 3 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  19. ↑ "On her 50th death anniversary, remembering the triple tragedies of Meena Kumari". IANS . 1 April 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2024– via The Times of India.
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.