Visionary - V. Shantaram Options

[swarapriya]

Sairandhri (1933 - Hindi & Marathi)

This film was directed by Shantaram. It was a bilingual made in Hindi as well as Marathi. The prints of this film, both in Hindi as well as Marathi, were apparently destroyed in a fire. None of the songs are available in either language.

The story of this film was taken from the Indian epic Mahabharat. Pandavas are to undergo 13 years in exile and out of it, the last year in incognito. After completing the first 12 years, they spend in disguises the last year in the service of King Virat. Keechak, brother-in-law of King Virat, who was a great warrior, protects Virat’s kingdom from enemies. Draupadi under the name of Sairandhri works as a maid to the queen, Sudeshna. One day Keechak comes to visit his sister and immediately attracted to the beauty of Sairandhri. He persuades his sister Sudeshna to send the maid to his palace. He threatens her that there will be dire consequences if she does not oblige his demand. Sairandhri is forced to go to Keechak, but her husband Bheema disguised as Sairandhri enters the scene and kills Keechak.

This was the first color film made in India. It was shot at the Prabhat Studios. It was then sent for processing to the UFA Studio in Germany. Later Shantaram traveled there to talk to them (look at the attached picture). When the prints arrived the final result was less than satisfactory. The partners of Prabhat felt bad about how the color processing turned out. They felt that in color people in the film appeared badly. Also, ornaments they were wearing came out as tasteless. Greatly disappointed, instead of releasing the film for exhibition, the partners decided to take a huge loss and “can” the color film. Later a black and white version was released.

The songs from the film were also pressed in Germany on gramophone records from the original soundtrack. This was another first for Prabhat Films.

When the movie was released it proved to be a flop.

A description of the songs start in the next post…

[swarapriya]

Sairandhri (1933 - Hindi)

Neither video nor songs of this film are available. A partial list of the songs is given in the table below. I am requesting members to share if they have any of these or other songs from this film. Thank you.

[swarapriya]

Sairandhri (1933 - Marathi)

I have no information about the songs that I can share with you from this movie. Requesting members to share any songs they may have. Thanks.

[swarapriya]

Sinhgad (1933 - Marathi)

This film was edited and directed by Shantaram. No copy of this film is available in video format. As customary with early Shantaram talking films, this movie may have been made both in Hindi and Marathi. However I am not certain about this. Neither I could find a video copy in Hindi nor Hindi cassette songs. But Marathi songs are available.

The movie had a historical theme. Its plot revolved around Tanaji Malusare, a trusted lieutenant of emperor Shivaji, who was assigned to bring back Kamalakumari. She was earlier captured by Udaybhanu who hid her in Sinhagad fort. Tanaji successfully attacked the fort with the help of 50 soldiers. In the process he died.

Earlier this film was made by Baburao Painter successfully as a silent film in 1923.

I am uploading the songs from this film in two back-to-back posts. Here are the songs in the first post…

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Sinhgad (1933 - Marathi)"...

Here are the rest of the songs from this film...

[swarapriya]

Amrit Mandhan (1934 - Hindi & Marathi)

This film was directed by Shantaram. It was a bilingual shot both in Hindi and Marathi simultaneously. All actors in both films were the same except for one. Keshavrao Date played the part of Rajguru in the Marathi version. In Hindi, it was played by Chandra Mohan. After starring in this pivotal role, Chandra Mohan went onto become a famous actor.

This was the first film produced in the new well equipped studio of Prabhat at Pune.

While working with UFA Studios in Germany on now canned color picture “Sairandhri”, Shantaram had an opportunity to observe the new wave of films made by German filmmakers. Impressed, he decided to experiment with light and shade for this film. Huge sets and costumes were erected to help accentuate the seldom seen effects in an Indian film.

The film was a story of a reformist king pitted against his fanatical Rajguru. Implicit in the story was raising a voice against religious obscurantism and bigotry. The story also alluded to abolishing the practice of human as well as animal sacrifice offered to any Goddess.

Shantaram was the first Indian filmmaker to use a telephoto lens to show the close-ups in this film. Until this movie came along there were no close-up shots in Indian films. In one of the close-up shots, Rajguru’s malicious eye fills the entire screen. It was a shocking sight to the 1930’s viewers. The scene was discussed in press and public for years. The movie had such an impact on the public that it became the first film in Hindi to celebrate a silver jubilee.

I am attaching a figure below where Shantaram is shooting a scene for the film.

The film was shown at the Venice International Film Festival. Some newspapers in London gave the coverage with the photographs from the film and the studio.

For this film both Hindi as well as Marathi versions of video format are available. I was elated that at least I will be at home with the Hindi version, it being a familiar language to me. But alas, audio quality is still as bad and verbiage of the songs was difficult to discern. Fortunately I was able to find better quality audios for some of the Hindi songs that I am uploading here.

There are 16 songs in this film. Shanta Apte dominated the proceedings with six songs. She even sang a ghazal, again first one for any film, “Kamsini”. Incidentally, Vasant Desai Saab sang a song in this film.

Here are few words about Shanta Apte (see her attached picture below)…

She was born in a Brahmin family and took to singing at a young age. However she had a rough childhood. She grew up under the observation of her older brother who was a violent and bad man. He used to whip her mercilessly with a cane even for small miscues. Her brother forced her to have sexual relations with him. He wanted Apte to have a child by him. But all this made her to be a stronger woman and gave her courage to bear this stigma openly all her life.

Her first film was as a child artiste in the 1932 Marathi film “Shyamsunder.” It was the first Marathi film to celebrate silver jubilee. Shantaram took note of her and signed her for a supporting role in in this film. The movie was a huge hit. It was the first Hindi film to celebrate a silver jubilee. Prabhat Studios immediately signed her for a long term contract. She appeared next in “Amar Jyoti (1936)” and “Rajput Ramani (1936).” Both films were also hits.

It was the 1937 bilingual “Duniya Na Mane” that brought her fame and catapulted her to be a number one star in Marathi films. In that film she played a woman who was married to a rich widower. Complications arise when she refuses to accept him as her husband. Her brilliant firebrand acting and singing brought her recognition and fame. In real life also she was famous for her firebrand temperament. Here are a couple of instances that illustrate this.

“Filmindia” was an influential film magazine that was published by Baburao Patel. Many filmgoers looked for his reviews in that magazine. Positive reviews from him meant the movie will make money. Otherwise it was doomed to failure. Writing a review on Apte Patel wrote a nasty column about her abilities as a singer as well as an actor. Apte showed up in his office the next morning with a whip in her hand. While the entire staff was looking she whipped him. This incident was published by Patel himself in his next issue of the magazine.

Another incident was when she had a fight with Prabhat Studios about her contract. She wanted them to free her up from that contract because she was getting innumerable offers with more money. When they refused, she went on a strike protesting them in front of the studio gates. To avoid bad publicity, Prabhat voided her contract. After that she never worked for them.

Shanta Apte went onto act in many films. In one film she acted with Prithviraj Kapoor and his son Raj Kapoor. She acted in a couple of films with Noor Jehan when Madamji was still an up and coming star. In one of the films she sang with her. She also sang with Lata Mangeshkar in one film. She wrote her own biography. She died of a heart attack at the young age of 47.

She acted in some 30 plus films.

In the next post songs from the Hindi film are given first…

[swarapriya]

Amrit Manthan (1934 - Hindi)

I am uploading all songs and a couple of music clips in three back-to-back posts. Here is the first set of songs…

[swarapriya]

Continuing Songs from "Amrit Manthan (1934 - Hindi)"...

Here are more songs from this film...

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Amrit Manthan (1934 - Hindi)"...

Hre are the rest of the songs from this film...

[swarapriya]

Amrit Manthan (1934 - Marathi)

This film and its Hindi version were made simultaneously. All actors in both films were the same except for one. Keshavrao Date played the part of Rajguru in the Marathi version. In Hindi, it was played by Chandra Mohan.

Rest of the details about this movie are the same as described in one of the previous posts. Most of the songs in the Marathi version were unintelligible. Poor quality audio and lack of understanding of the language are the culprits.

I am uploading all the songs in three back-to-back posts. Here are the songs in the first post…

[swarapriya]

Continuing Songs from "Amrit Manthan (1934 - Marathi)"...

Here are more songs from this film...

[swarapriya]

Concluding Songs from "Amrit Manthan (1934 - Marathi)"...

Here are the rest of the songs from this film...

[swarapriya]

Seetha Kalyanam (1934 - Tamil)

This was the only film Prabhat Studios made in Tamil. Its English name was “Seetha’s Wedding.” None of the video format copies of this film exist.

Shantaram was one of the producers of the film.

The story is taken from the Indian epic Ramayana. It told the story of Seetha’s swayamvara and her eventual marriage to Rama.

Prabhat had bad experience with India’s first color film “Sairandhri.” They suffered heavy financial losses. The huge sets they built for that movie were still there. Shantaram and his partners were looking to underwrite some of the costs by reusing the already erected sets. The idea to make “Seetha Kalyanam” in Tamil originated from that desire.

Pursuing that idea Shantaram contacted folks in-charge of a Chennai based movie magazine. They went along with the idea and the initial cast of Tamil actors was assembled. They traveled to shoot the movie in Kolhapur. The film was entirely shot there using these actors. It was directed by Baburao Pendharkar, an actor himself, and a cousin of Shantaram. All songs were recorded as actors sang their own songs as it happened. The songs were neither rehearsed nor pre-recorded.

One of the stills from the film is attached below.

Rama and Seetha were played by real life brother and sister respectively. This created a lot of concern and controversy. But when the film was released it was all forgotten as it became a big hit.

A year later the movie was remade in Telugu.

I do not have any songs from the Tamil film that I can share with you.

[swarapriya]

Chandrasena (1935 - Hindi & Marathi)

This film was directed by Shantaram. It was simultaneously made in Hindi and Marathi. No video format of these movies is available. Fortunately there exist few videos of the Marathi version.

This film was made earlier in 1931, also by Prabhat Films, as a silent film. That was co-directed by Shantaram and Keshavrao Dhaiber.

Following the hit 1934 film “Amrit Manthan” Shantaram wanted to make a social film. But Fatehlal, another partner with Shantaram, already made plans to make a costume drama based on their 1931 silent film “Chandrasena.” He already built sets, several ideas for costumes and accessories. He went to the distance of recreating exquisite sets showing conches, pearls, and shells. Shantaram went along with that idea.

The film originally had Chandra Mohan playing Mahiravan. On the day when shooting was to commence Mohan was a no show. Shantaram enquired about it and found they were given a legal notice to void his contract with Prabhat. Mohan apparently was offered a better salary in another film. A furious Shantaram replaced him with Kelkar. Mohan was then served a legal notice from Prabhat for not honoring the contract he signed. He was also served to pay expenses they have incurred because of his last minute refusal to not participate in the film. Mohan tried to get help and legal advice but for no avail. Then he went back to Shantaram and begged for his forgiveness. Shantaram ultimately pardoned him. After he participated in the 1936 film “Amar Jyoti” Shantaram terminated his contract with Prabhat.

The story of the film was taken from the epic Ramayana. Chandrasena, wife of Mahiravan, helps Hanuman to rescue Rama and Lakshmana imprisoned in Paataala by Mahiravan. She also helps Hanuman in the defeat of Mahiravan’s mighty army.

Mahiravan was a brother of Ravan. He was supposed to be more powerful than Ravan. To avoid any conflict with his own brother, Mahiravan made his kingdom in Paataal.

The film for its period was embellished with many special effects. These included giant sized Hanuman lifting of human figures, a show of arrow wizardry in battle scenes, Hanuman flying in the air, and others. In spite of all this the film was a failure. In the heels of the setback they suffered with India’s first color film, 1933’s “Sairandhri,” this was another failure the partnership has to swallow.

See in the attached picture below Shantaram working on a film set with other craftsmen and technicians. In the second picture a scene from the film is shown where the shot was taken with two cameras and then integrating those images together.

Songs from this film are given starting in the next post…

[swarapriya]

Chandrasena (1935 - Hindi)

Unfortunately, I do not have any of the songs listed in the table below. I am requesting fellow Forum members to share them with rest of us if they have any. Thank you.