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संत तुलसीदास (1939)
Character: Bhatteshwar Shastri
Big-budget miracle-laden saint film on Tulsidas (16th C). who rewrote Valmiki's 'Ramayana' in Hindi. To the despair of his teacher Narahari Guru, who hopes that Tulsidas will make the classic text accessible to the people, the poet spends time with his beloved wife Ratnavali. The dramatic pivot of the story comes when Tulsidas discovers his life's vocation amid howling wind and a river in spate. He becomes an ascetic and settles down in Benares where his translation threatens the brahmanical clergy, until then sole proprietors of the wisdom of the Sanskrit text.
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Chingari (1940)
Character: N/A
Geeta then goes to live with her brother, who is not in a financial position to adequately support her. The film's later scenes focus on her husband's attempts at reconciliation, especially after his father passes away and his other wife (through whom he had a son named Charan) also dies. Initially, Geeta is resistant to a reunion, but Charan's subsequent illness ultimately brings the couple back together.
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Adhuri Kahani (1939)
Character: Seth Gopaldas
The educated Harbala battles the oppressive traditionalism of her husband, Seth Gopaldas. Desperate for her children, Somnath and Neelam, to live freely, her frustration leads to a tragic act. Haunted by guilt, her children ultimately follow. The film, aptly titled "The Unfinished Tale," suggests hope for a more liberated future.
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Pratibha (1937)
Character: Prasad
The poet Prasad (K. Date) lives far from the city in a forest, enjoying only the company of his wife Pratibha (Khote). The court poet Kaveeshwar (Phatak) of a neighbouring kingdom discovers Prasad’s poetry and, more importantly, his beautiful wife, and invites them to his palace, promising fame and glory. Against Pratibha’s advice, Prasad succumbs to temptation, only to see his work plagiarised and his wife harassed.
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Divali (1940)
Character: Dhanna
Dhanna and his young daughter Tulsi struggle in poverty until Tulsi, trying to help her sick father, is arrested for theft and sent to jail. She later comes under the care of Dr. Kailash, whose household is held together by Rekha, the prosecuting attorney’s daughter in love with him. As Tulsi’s presence stirs tensions between Rekha and Kailash, the story weaves through themes of love, money, and morality, moving from hardship and conflict toward reconciliation and harmony.
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Kunku (1937)
Character: Kakasaheb
Neera (Apte) is trapped into marrying an old widower Kakasaheb (Date). He is a progressive lawyer with a son and daughter of Neera's age. Neera refuses to consummate the union claiming that while suffering can be borne, injustice cannot. Neera faces many hurdles including her mother-in-law and a lascivious stepson Pandit (Nene).
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अमृत मंथन (1934)
Character: Rajguru
This classic opens with a sensational low-angle circular track movement as Chandika cult followers meet in a dungeon of flickering lights and deep shadow. As the more rationalist King Krantivarma (Varde) banned human or animal sacrifices from the increasingly fanatical festivals dedicated to the goddess, the cult's high priest (Chandramohan/Date) orders the hapless Vishwagupta (Kelkar) to kill the king.
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Duniya Na Mane (1937)
Character: N/A
A young girl who is forced to marry an aging lawyer. She is implored to find a young husband before her would be husband snuffs the idea out.
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शेजारी (1941)
Character: N/A
Marathi version of the film starring Mazhar Khan, Gajanan Jagirdar and Anees Khatoon. In a small village in India, the villagers of different communities live in harmony. But when an industrialist, arrives to construct a dam, he sows distrust and disunity between the Muslim and Hindi communities.
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Dahej (1950)
Character: N/A
Thakur is a proud and dignified man who loves his only daughter, Chanda, dearly. His wife and he receive a proposal for Chanda from the house of a lawyer and his wife. While Thakur accepts the proposal, he makes it clear to the lawyer that he is unable to afford any dowry. After the wedding, Chanda's mother-in-law starts harassing Chanda about her lack of dowry.
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Apna Desh (1949)
Character: Jagdish Narayan Mehta
During the Partition of India, Mohini is abducted and raped. Upon returning to her family, she faces rejection from society. In revenge, she becomes a smuggler, dealing in illegal arms. She falls for fellow refugee Satish, and when he's implicated, she confesses and surrenders.
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Holi (1940)
Character: Mangaldas
The evil Chand (Motilal) and his rich father Mangaldas (Date) persecute the nice Sunder (Ishwarlal): he kidnaps Sunder's sister Kokila (Khursheed) and frames him for theft. Sunder is jailed. The abducted Kokila succumbs to the villain's charms and her love reforms him. When released, Sunder, unaware of the fact that his enemy has reformed, seeks revenge on the very day that Chand and Kokila are to marry.
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डॉक्टर कोटनिस की अमर कहानी (1946)
Character: Dr. Kotnis' father
During the Japanese invasion of China, a young Indian doctor joins the Chinese resistance, meets and courts a Chinese girl, cures a virulent plague, and is captured by a Japanese platoon...
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Navrang (1959)
Character: Janardan
Diwakar is a poet and loves his wife Jamuna on everything. But Jamuna does not agree that Diwakar lives out of sheer poetry in a fantasy world and the real world less and less responsible. Diwakar goes so far that he is a fantasy woman in his wife's body creates what he calls Mohini. Diwakar will soon become a recognized poet and Jamuna gives birth to a boy. Unfortunately, the happiness does not last long: Diwakar loses his job because of a critical songs against the British. Now he can no longer feed his sickly father nor his son, who is starving. All this makes Jamuna angry, but above all Diwakars growing obsession with Mohini. As Jamuna decides to live apart from Diwakar, it is destroyed internally and no longer capable of proof. Jamuna slowly realizes that she can not live without Diwakar and forgives him.
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Toofan Aur Deeya (1956)
Character: N/A
A newly orphaned brother-sister duo take refuge in a temple where they receive help from people who believe in them and push them to overcome several hurdles.
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Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955)
Character: Mangal
Dancer maestro Mangal Maharaj wants his son, Girdhar, who is a dancer par excellence, to enter the once-in-ten-years Nateshwar Utsav dance competition, win it, and be crowned the Bharat Natraj. While Girdhar can do a solo dance number, he is also required to dance the Shiv-Parvati Tandav dance with a female partner. Mangal Maharaj would like Roopkala to be his partner, but ends up being disappointed with her. Now with only a year left for the Utsav, he chances upon talented dancer and singer, Neeladevi, and recruits her. He subjects her to strenuous training and he is pleased with her performance. Then he finds out that Girdhar and Neela have fallen in love with each other, and their involvement is interfering with their performance. Unhappy with Neeladevi, he dismisses her, and sets forth to look for another dancer. The question remains: Will he be able to find another one, train her, and make her compete just in time for the Utsav, or will he lose this opportunity altogether and ...
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