Madhumati [1958] : Bimal Roy

-

 




After watching Do Bigha Zamin [1953] I was wondering which one would be next. I was swiping between Parineeta (1953) & Devdas (1955). But decided to watch Madhumati (1958), firstly Ritwik Ghatak’s collaboration with the story development and screenplay writing. I was enthusiastic to experience the great creation of Ritwik and Bimal’s artistic ventures as both originated and migrated from East Bengal, present Bangladesh. Secondly, I decided to watch Devdas [1955] along with other versions made in India and Bangladesh.

 

The first thing that enchanted me is its subtle and uplifting framings and scenes in the mountainous and forest areas with the background score of Lata Mangeskar's melodious "Aaja Re Pardes & Mukesh's  eophonious "Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam". I was as mesmerised as Anand had been.


I have found quite similarities with the moods and a loose storyline of Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s Aranyak [1939], one of my most favorite novels in world literature with Bimal Roy’s Modhumoti [1953]. The innocence and adamant to keep the value and beauty of nature and to establish the compassionate attitude and sense of equality are well matched between Satyacharan in Aranyak & Anand [Dilip Kumar] in Mofhumoti. As I know Mr. Bimal was evicted from his feudal system as a zamindar in Bikrampur, Dhaka, East Pakistan, I have found a quite the same logic between Raja Doboru [Santal Pargana] and his granddaughter, Bhanumati in Aranyak & Pawan Raja [Jayant] and his daughter, Madhumati [Vyjayanthimala]. And surprisingly Bhanumoti climbed up to their ancestral graveyard and temple up on the hills as the way Madhumati escorted Ananda. The capitalist cruelty and oppression against women are exactely compsed where Rashbehari Singh took advantage Kunta and Raja Ugra Narain [Pran ] tried to rape and killed Madhumati.


                                                      Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s Aranyak [1939]

It is just a assumption that might be Ritwik and Bimal were inspired by all the nuances of Aranyak[1939]. 



Though Modhumoti is a blending of social realism and fantastical genre, I found it quite a good example of Freudian psychological experiment on human nature and mirror impressions and identity representation to treat the mental aberration and solving a murder mystery with suspenseful melodrama. This is the first Dilip Kumar’s film I have seen and he has just a cinematic profile in the frame and I understood why all the people liked and loved him so much. His measured acting pace and verbal tone are utterly appraisable and superbly imitable.  



🎥Madhumati [1958]

Bimal Roy

Hindi, India





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoeshine [1946] : Vittorio De Sica

-
Image
  After watching Vittorio De Sica’s Shoeshine [1946], it is evident why the Indian subcontinent was so much moved and influenced by Italian neorealism. I think the rationale of being realistic in Indian cinema was more impactful than Italian neorealism. Because India had one additional ground to illustrate her cinema in neorealist mold. It is its independence and great partition which occurred concurrently while the west was suffering from  Second World War devastation. Apart from cinematic techniques, art direction, costumes, and narrative subjects; neoliberalism made paramedic change into acting styles. The acting had been transcended from theatrical to natural. The spontaneous presence of child artists with ever presence of class division in the power structure and distributed justice in the human conditions are the main concerns. Surprisingly, K.A. Abbas’s Dharti Ke Lal [1946, Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar [1946] was also made and released in India in the same year. This tradition ha
Read more

বুনোহাঁস : পলাশ মাহমুদ

-
Image
  Photo Credit: Palash Mahmud    বুনোহাঁস -পলাশ মাহমুদ   এইতো তুমি নিখোঁজ হলে আমায় রেখে আসবে বলে চলে গেলে।     তোমার জন্য এইতো আমি উদাস হাওয়ায়, অপেক্ষাতে দাঁড়িয়ে থেকে বৃক্ষ হলাম।   কাকে বলবো, বলো?   যে মন বুনোহাঁস হয়ে মেঘের মাঝেতে ডুবে থাকে। তার চোখেতে জলের ধারা তারার তিমির রাখে।   কে জানে, বলো?   কী সহজ! কাছের কিছু হারিয়ে ফেলে ভুলে থাকা।   কী কঠিন! বৃক্ষ হয়ে, অভিমানে দাঁড়িয়ে থাকা।
Read more

Andaz [1949] : Mehboob Khan

-
Image
  It was 1949. The new born country was in the process of coming out of British influences in every aspect and facing a great crisis of duality of cultural & intellectual blending and existential crisis. On the high moment, Mehboob Khan’s Andaz [1949] shed lights on the exact spot through a rom-com narrative. The Indian upbringing with European liberalism of Meena played by Nargis had reflected in a balanced way in the movie.   The trio mega stars of that time [Nargis Dutt, Dilip Kumar & Raj Kapoor] in the same movie made it a big attraction that time I suppose. The narrative also reminds me of Adhiyaman's Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam [2002] starred by another trio Madhuri Dixit, Shahrukh Khan & Salman Khan with a different rendition.   The high value of women's loyalty and morality over love, lust & marriage are significantly exercised as it has been in Mother India [1957].   Andaz [1949] Mehboob Khan Hindi, India
Read more