Pooja (1954 film)

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Pooja
Pooja (1954) movie-poster.jpg
Directed by Bhagwan Das Varma
Screenplay byBhagwan Das Varma
Starring Bharat Bhushan
Purnima
CinematographyJamshed R. Irani
Edited byP. S. Kochikar
Music by Shankar–Jaikishan
Production
company
Distributed byVarma Films
Release date
  • 1954 (1954)
Country India
Language Hindi

Pooja is a 1954 Bollywood film starring Bharat Bhushan and Purnima, produced and distributed by Varma Films. It was directed by Bhagwan Das Varma, one of the founders of Varma Films, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. Bharat Bhushan, who was playing the lead role in the film, had previously worked in the lead role in two films distributed by Varma Films: the box-office hit Suhaag Raat (1948) [1] and Thes (1949). Pooja was the first film in which Purnima, who had previously worked in supporting roles for several movies for Varma Films, worked as the leading actress playing the role of a child widow. Bold for its time, Pooja's narrative revolved around the issue of remarriage of Indian women in general and, more specifically, remarriage by a child widow.

Contents

Pooja’s notability arose from the filmmakers casting Bharat Bhushan in the key lead role of a singer in the film. Bharat Bhushan’s “mellow looks matched by a soft voice” gave him a non-threatening physical persona with modulated vocal characteristics that strategically aligned with the role he played in Pooja. [2] Remarkably, even before the release of Pooja, Bharat Bhushan had already displayed his talent portraying a singer in two of the period's most acclaimed musicals: the box-office sensation Baiju Bawra (1952) [3] and Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1953), for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. [4] It was widely believed that Mohammed Rafi's role as the playback singer for Bharat Bhushan was instrumental in the success of the above two films. [5] Interestingly, Rafi was the playback singer for all the songs sung by Bharat Bhushan in Pooja. [6]

Plot

When Keshav Das (Badri Prasad), a temple singer falls ill, his daughter Kala (Purnima) starts singing in his place at the temple. Although the temple priest (Om Prakash) likes her singing, he forbids Kala from singing any more at the temple when he learns that she is a child widow. To protest the temple priest's decision, Keshav Das decides that he too will not sing anymore at the temple.

With no alternate singer being available in the village, the temple priest and the elders invite Deepak (Bharat Bhushan) to sing for the temple. Kesav Das likes Deepak's singing and invites him to learn more about music by living with him and Kala. As the days pass, Deepak falls in love with Kala without knowing that she is a child widow.

A particularly poignant scene in the movie occurs on Holi day. Deepak, not knowing that Kala is a widow, sprinkles color on her, much to the chagrin of villagers who see the color on Kala's forehead. Particularly annoyed is Bimmo (Shakuntala), who is supposedly Kala's friend, but has also fallen in love with Deepak. Given the love emerging between Deepak and Kala, Bimmo takes the matter up with the Panchayat, consisting of the respected and wise elders of the local community. The Mukhiya (Hiralal), or head of the Panchayat, who also happens to be Bimmo's father, calls a meeting of the Panchayat in which Deepak's and Kala's love is condemned because Kala is a widow and is not allowed to remarry. Ramlal (Jankidas), a wise neighbor, suggests that Deepak and Kala leave town in the hope that their love will be more accepted elsewhere. The movie thus ends with a depiction of the consequences of forbidden love.

Cast

Soundtrack

Music was composed by Shankar–Jaikishan, while Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra wrote the songs. [7] In addition to well-known singers like Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar, one of the songs in the film featured the renowned vocalist and classical musician Krishnarao Phulambrikar. [8]

SongSinger
"Chal Chal Re Musaafir " Mohammed Rafi
"Holi Ayi Pyari Bhar Pichakari"Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar
"Mori Bipda Aan Haro Prabhu Kaahe Der Karo"Lata Mangeshkar
"Main Murlidhar Ki Murali Layi Muralidhar Ne Layi Meri Maala"Lata Mangeshkar
"Roomjhoom Ke Bajao Bansari Murari"Mohammed Rafi and Krishnarao Phulambrikar
"Jaha Kahee Dipak Jalata Hai"Mohammed Rafi
"Jo Ek Baar Keh Do Ki Tum Ho Hamari”Mohammed Rafi
"Soch Na Manva Teri Taqdir Bananewala Sochega"Mohammed Rafi
"Bataa De Aye Dil Dil Lagana Na Raas Aaye To Kya Karun"Lata Mangeshkar

Release

Pooja was released in 1954, the year in which Bhagwan Das married Purnima. It was Purnima's second marriage. [9]

A predominantly moving song in the movie was "Holi Ayi Pyari Bhar Pichakari" where lyricist Shailendra implicitly hopes that Holi can be celebrated by all. In 2013, almost sixty years after the release of “Pooja” in 1954, Shailendra's vision was realized. In an attempt to integrate widows socially into the mainstream, nearly 800 widows were encouraged to celebrate Holi at Vrindavan, a sacred city where Lord Krishna is said to have spent much of his childhood. [10]

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References

  1. ↑ "Top Earners 1948". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  2. ↑ Gulazāra; Govind Nihalani; Saibal Chatterjee (2003). Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema. Popular Prakashan. p. 533. ISBN   978-81-7991-066-5 . Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  3. ↑ "Box Office 1952". Box Office India. 22 September 2012. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  4. ↑ "1954 Filmfare Awards". Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  5. ↑ Raheja, Dinesh. "Bharat Bhushan, the tragic hero". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2003. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "Pooja". Indian Film History. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  7. ↑ "Lyrics and video of Songs from the film Pooja (1954)". Hindigeetmala.com. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  8. ↑ "Pooja (1954): Rumjhum Ke Bajao Bansari Murali". muvyz.com. Muvyz, Ltd. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  9. ↑ Sharma, Shishir Krishna (25 March 2020). "'Dil Se Bhula Do Tum Hamein'-Poornima". Indian Cinema Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  10. ↑ Datta, V. S. (24 March 2013). "Film Pooja (1954) type Holi in-Vrindaban Today". Active India. pp. 23–31. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
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