Bengali & Others

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Mukti (1937) Bengali_2cd_Indian Cinema_The Early Years_Kanan Devi_Pankaj Mullick DDR

CAST:-



Kanan Devi………………Chitra
P.C.Barua …………….…Prashanta
Sailen Choudhury ……Mr Mallick
Indu Mukherjee ………Bipul
Debabala ………….……Bipul’s mother
Pankaj Mallick ….……Pahadi
Menoka Devi …………Jharna
Amar Mallick …………Sardar
Ahi Sanyal ……………Coolie
K.N. Singh ……………Party Guest
Kanak Narayan
Bibhuti Chakraborty
Sudhir
Nawab Khan
Kashi Choudhury
Brajabasi
Jatin Dey
Lakshmi
Saradeb Roy
Sukumar

Producer : New Theatres
Direction : P.C.Barua
Music : Pankaj Mallick
Lyrics : Rabindra Nath Tagore, Sajani Kanta Das, Ajoy Bhattacharya

Songs are included in MP3s ( Courtesy Surjit ... low bitrate )
Mukti_1937-00-title Music
Mukti_1937-KananDevi-Ogo Sundara Monero Gahane-SajanikantaDas_PankajMullick
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mukti-1937-sanwariya-man-bhaya-kanan-devi
mukti-1937-sharabi-soch-na-kar-pankaj-mullick
Mukti_1937-KananDevi-KaisaUjraChaman-!_PankajMallick
Mukti_1937-KananDevi-NaJaneKyaHai-!_PankajMallick
Mukti_1937-KananDevi-SanwariyaManBhaye-!_PankajMallick.wav

Widely accepted as the first film to use Rabindra Sangeet it is perhaps forgotten that the film TALKIE OF TALKIES (14/1/37) had one song by Tagore ' Ke Roy Bhuley' 'Tomar Mohan Rupey'….However, the credit of reaching Tagore’s music to the masses goes to 'Mukti'. Kanan Devi’s rendering of 'Aaj Sabar Range' in her mellifluous voice presented listeners an entirely new style of Rabindranath’s song hitherto unknown. The unprecedented popularity of Kanan Devi and Pankaj’s songs in 'Mukti 1937' played a very major role in creating a mass appeal for this kind of songs.

Mukti was perhaps the first film to use the name Kanan Devi instead of the earlier used name Kanan Bala

We have been surprised and delighted to see Srimati Kanan Bala in a new type of role-said a leading Bengali daily, Kanan has performed very well in her new place of work, her songs touch the heart, said another.

Mukti, directed by P C Barua was released in 1937. Kanan Devi, whom P C Barua wanted to play the lead in his earlier film Devdas (1935), but she couldn’t, was the lead actress and singer. P C Barua himself was in the male lead. Music was directed by Pankaj Mullick. Mukti made Kanan Devi a star which led to her fruitful association with New Theatres, Calcutta. The storyline of the film was much ahead of it’s time.



PROFILE:- Kanan Devi
Towards the end of the great war, feature film production started in Bengal. The female roles were played by men to start with and later, women joined the stage and films. These women were either Anglo-Indians, who took up the profession willingly or else they were brought from the red light areas of Calcutta. Film acting being considered undignified, womenfolk from respectable families would not dream of acting in public (although plays were staged by advanced families for selected audiences, notably the Tagore family). Film makers depended heavily on the nautch girls to do the female roles. Men like Dhirendranath Ganguly (D.G. as he was better known ) and Dada Saheb Phalke of course got their wives and daughters to act in films). Kanan's roots were also outside the society. It is now proved that her first record was published from HMV. Who exactly groomed her in those days is something that we will probably never know, but some researchers have named Ascharmoyee Dassi for her earliest songs. There was also one Bholada –a well wisher who taught Kanan many songs. Kanan’s training from Allah Rakha happened at a later date when she was capable of appoining a teacher at her own expense. However, contrary to popular belief this Allah Rakha was not any famous ustaad from Lucknow, but an unknown music teacher from Calcutta.

Kanan was brought to films by Shri Tulsi Banerjee,

A poor undernourished girl of about ten was brought to Madan Theatres by Tulsi Banerjee . She was just bone and skin, that too full of eczematous lesions. However, she had a beautiful face and J.J. Madan and director Jyotish Banerjee realized that with a little grooming she could prove to be an asset as a child artiste and gave her a prominent role as Srikrishna in 'Joydeb (1926)'. The girl’s name was Kanan. The next year she did a bit role in Dhirendra Nath Ganguly’s 'Shankarcharya'. There was a gap of four years during which she was not seen on the
screen at all. She was being trained in music, which in times to come left an everlasting effect in the field of Indian film music. Once established as an actress and singer Kanan practically stopped singing basic songs- a decision she regretted herself in later years…


Her first film being Joydeb (1926) as a child artiste. She next appeared in Shankarcharya (1927), but in such a small role that she went uncredited. Her next film appearance was in the talkie Jore Barat (1931). She could not afford to be idle for all these four or five years.

Her musical talents were discovered from the notorious Gholadanga area of Howrah by someone whose exact identity can never be known today, but Hiren Bose can perhaps be credited as her first real trainer. After shifting between
HMV, Columbia and Megaphone for a while, she was finally given shelter at Megaphone by Shri J.N. Ghosh, the only person in the film and music world whom she called Baba. She was given a separate room for living and singing and here maestros like Kaji Najrul Islam, Vishmabeb Chattopadhyay, Gyan Datta and Binode Behari Ganguly became her regular trainers. Music lessons apart, Shri J.N.Ghosh engaged a teacher, Mrs Gabbey for Kanan to learn English. She started recording discs right from the beginning of Megaphone Company and in fact the fifth record (JNG 5) published by the company had Kanan’S songs.

In 1931, she played the lead in 'Jore Barat', and A Star was born, a star who came to dominate over the Indian screen for the next three decades. Success trickled in gradually and the indifference of the industry –after all she was merely a film actress – gave way to delight, surprise ,astonishment and respect as her value was established beyond doubt . Kanan was the first of all our screen ladies to be addressed as Madam by fellow workers in the studio.


Yet, it was not easy for her to be part of mainstream of the society. People would admire her acting, would sing her songs, would follow the fashion trends set by her but would never dream of inviting her at social meets . No “respectable man” would dream of having her as life partner. Through hard labour, confidence and determination to
overcome the odds at all costs she earned for herself a position in society where even the governor of a state
(Mr Dharma Vira of West Bengal) rose from his seat to welcome her at a function……..



PROFILE:- Panjaj Mullick
Pankaj Mullick was born on 20th April 1904 at Calcutta, India. Pankaj Mullick was son of Manimohan Mullick who had a great interest in traditional music, and would invite eminent singers and instrumentalists to perform during religious festivals. Born in a middle class Bengali family, it was here that Pankaj Mullick drew inspiration from classical Hindustani music. From a very early age, he decided that his vocation would be music, and though enrolled in college, he did not pursue higher education. After completing his college studies he became a student of Durgadas Banerjee. Later, he joined Dinendra Nath Tagore for learning music. His first record was released by the Videophone Company in the year 1926.

Pankaj Mullick was lucky to be introduced to the Tagore family, which was to have an everlasting influence upon him. Rabindra Sangeet became his forte, and he is the only man who has tuned a Rabindranath poem to music, 'Diner Seshey, Ghoomer Deshey' with the great poet's total approval. The approval of the great poet came to Pankaj after endless numbers of hours of waiting on him, and the story has it that it was for a college function that Pankaj had approached the great poet to have his permission to perform one of his poetries, to which Rabindranath Tagore asked him to sing out the composition that he had in mind. It was after hearing his composition that Rabindranath was so very overcome with the tune that he granted him a total approval for all his poetries. Thus was through Pankaj Mullick's songs that Rabindra Sangeet became popular in every Bengali household, even raising great interest among Western music connoisseurs.

Pankaj Mullick regarded the balance and equanimity of the mind as his best asset, providing him with status as a human being and an artiste. Pankaj Mullick enjoyed a very close relationship with AIR (All India Radio) since its very inception in 1928, then a private broadcasting organization. For very many years, his Sunday music lessons had thousands of listeners, specially among young girls. It was at his initiative that the use of the tabla was introduced to keep rhythm for Rabindra Sangeet, which the poet had not previously adopted.


Though not really an actor, even though appearing in some six or seven films, his first experience was in a small role in Chashar Meye. It is interesting to note that when this silent film was being exhibited at Calcutta, Pankaj Mullick would conduct his orchestra to provide background music. Pankaj Mullick and R. C. Boral supplemented each other on many occasions whilst composing music for New Theatres' films. One of the Pankaj Mullick's most notable scores was for Mukti in which director P.C. Barua had assigned him a role.

On joining the New Theatres in 1933, he composed music for 'Yahudi ki Ladki'. He assisted R. C. Boral in Dhoop Chaon (1935), Karorpati and Manzil (1936) and President (1937). His Bengali films include Mukti (1937), Desher Mati (1938), Badididi (1939), Jiban Maran (1939), Nartaki (1940), Daktar (1940), Meenakshi (1942), Dikshul (1943), Dui Purush (1945), Nurse Sisi (1947), Ramer Sumati (1947), Pratibad (1948), Roop Katha (1950), Nabin Yatra (1953), Mahaprasthaner Pathey (1953), Rajkamal (1955), Louha-Kapat (1957), Aahwan (1961) and Bighalita Karuna Jahabi Jamuna (1972).

Pankaj Mullick wrote many books, a few of them are : Geet Valmiki, Swara Lipika, Raga Lakshana Geet Manjari and Mahishasura Mardina. He received Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1972. He died on 19th February 1978. The first person to reach his residence was R.C.Boral.

MOVIE REVIEW:- Mukti (1937)
Prashanta (Barua) is a painter and is happy within his own world with an unflattering view on modern society. His loving wife Chitra (Kanan Devi) belongs to this very class and wishes that Prashanta should also be part of it and that his talent be recognized in her circle……..

Chitra’s father Mr Mallick (Sailen Choudhury) does not consider Prashanta’ profession to be an honourable one and does not care for art. Tension builds up between the young couple-while each is committed to the other, outside influence notably that of Bipul (Indu Mukherjee) and his mother (Debabala) tends to spoil their relations.
Bipul is revengeful because Chitra had rejected him and had opted for Prashanta.

Matters take a turn for the worse when Prashanta fails to turn up at a tea party arranged to introduce him to Mr Mallick’s friends and it is found that he was busy creating a nude profile of a model. Chitra decides to leave him and in a fit of helpless anger, Prashanta destroys his studio and leaves for the unknown in his car which is
found abandoned by a river side with a note for his wife saying that he was relieving her of all commitments and bindings………

The scene shifts to the Assam hills where Prashanta is found in the company of liquor shop owner Pahari (Pankaj) and his companion Jharna (Menoka), the latter using her charms to seduce Prashanta. Prashanta gets into a feud with the local leader (Amar Mallick) of coolies and gives this villainous character a taste of uncivilized
jungle culture when he fires a shot at him injuring his arm. The leader does not forget the insult.

A party from Calcutta arrives in the scene, they intend to hunt and also take a holiday in the jungles. In this party is present Chitra, who in the mistaken belief that Prashanta is no more has tied the knot to Bipul, who is also a member of the hunting team with his father in law. The local leader has seen Chitra’s photograph in
Prashanta’s purse and in an opportune moment kidnaps her to take revenge. Mr Mallick and Bipul rush to Prashanta taking him to be the culprit but Prashanta while reassuring them goes in search of Chitra. She is found easily and in the fight that follows kills the leader whose dagger hits Prashanta fatally.
Prashanta dies in Chitra’s arms repeating that he was freeing her from all commitments …







SYNOPSIS:- Mukti (1937)
This classic adultery story tells of an artist, Prasanta (Barua) presented in the stereotypically romantic image: dedicated to his vocation, paying no heed to his scandalous reputation (he paints nude models) and with a cavalier attitude to his conservative father-in-law's (Choudhury) demands for a good social behaviour. He is married to the rich Chitra (Kanan Devi). The couple are in love but neither partner is prepared to compromise their ideals. The marriage falls apart. Prasanta concedes his wife's demand for a divorce and goes to the jungles of Assam, where for many years his closest associates are a wild elephant and Jharna (Menaka), the wife of an innkeeper named Pahari (P. Mullick). He also makes a sworn enemy of a local trader (Nawab/A. Mullick). Chitra marries the millionaire Bipul (Mukherjee) and they go an elephant hunt.

They kill Prasanta's pet elephant. Since Chitra believes Prasanta to be dead he avoids meeting her, but is forced to rescue her from the villainous trader.. Prasanta succeeds but dies at Chitra's feet. The film interprets his death as Chitra's final achievement of the freedom she had craved. Barua contrasts the regressive story presented as static and unresolved, both as narrative and as performance, with a hyperactive environment that overwhelms the trivial nature of the lead couple's desires.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:-
Video Codec: XviD ISO MPEG-4
Video Bitrate: 609 kbps
Video Resolution: 640x480
Video Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1
Frames Per Second: 29.970
Audio Codec: 0x0055 MPEG-1 Layer 3
Audio Bitrate: 112kb/s VBR 48000 Hz
Audio Streams: 2
Audio Languages: Bengali
RunTime: 1:54:55
Subtitles: English
Ripped by: Trinidad [DDR]
Duration: 1:54:55
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