RAM DAYAL:A Forgotton Hero and producer of Pakistan's first film

SARDARI Lal was then the general manager of Pancholi Pictures,Lahore that controlled two studios,three cinima halls and Empire Talkies Ditributors. Later Dewan Sardardarilal started his his own film production company and produced a film titled Barsat Ki Ek Raat starring Pran. Ram Dayal joined his father's business as Production Chief and also handled he camera department. After the partition,while many had to leave Lahore,Ram Dayal stayed back till 1950. In 1948, his father and Ram Dayal produced independentPakistan's first film Teri Yaad starrring Nasir Khan. Till 1950, Ram Dayal had the privilege ofHaving been associated with stars likeRagini,Neena, Swarn Lata, Nazir,Charlie, Sabia, Santosh Kumar, Darpan, M.Azmal andmusicdirector Ghulam Hyder andChisti. Later in 1950He came to India leaving his parents in Lahore. In 1956, Ram Dayal's parents migrated to India.
Coming back to Bombay in 1950, Ram Dayal started working as a press photographer and also in the camera department. In the same year, he launched his own production company alongwith his brother Darshan who already was in Bombay working asa Pro for actress Shyama. From 1952 to 1990, Ram Dayal produced 25 films besides directing two and photograhing more than 25 films. Ram Dayal had the privilege of being the GM of the Famous Studio at Caddel Road in 1956-57 and then in 1958-59, hewas in charge of the now defunct Kardar Studio.
Ram Dayal made all kinds of films in various genres. For children,he made Bazigar,Star and Dog & Horse. He made fantasy films like Alibaba Ka Beta,Tatar Ka Chor andGulbahar, one magial movie Jaadu Nagri as well as a science fiction Superman. Ram Dayal was credited for having made a bold film Do Raha starring Anil Dhawan and Radha Saluja. He also made two very well-known comedy films namely Aplam Chaplam and Shrimanji.He didn't spare the spy movie genre when he made Akalmand. Ram Dayal made Prabhat that dealt with the life of a prostitute,produced a family film Do Number Ke Amir, made action films Baghi and Zor.Formula films were Ram Dayal's forte and he made four films in this genre namely Hasino Ka Devta, Param Dharam, Takdeer Ka Badshah and Karam Yuth.He also made a film on national integration namely Veeru Ustad.
Ram Dayal has also had the honour of bringing about many changes and improvements in the field of cinema viz:

• Initiated daily payment to artistes
• Brought into existence the concept of "action films" repalcing 'stunt' films.This he did because earlier social and stunt films had separated status as producers,artistes,studios andtheatre owners used to look down at stunt films. Then there were a few third-grade theatres earmarked for stunt films. Famous artistes ofsocial films like Pradeep Kumar were roped in by Ram Dayal for his action film Baghi.Says Ram Dayal,"I am proud to say that Homi Wadia, the king of action moview then showered praise on me andmy stardard of making such a film." It was in 1958,that Ram Dayal made the hit film Baazigar, starring Jairaj and Nirupa Roy. This film was shot at the Kardar Studio that was earlier not available to shoot action films.
• It was only after the stupendous success of Baazigar that the overflow system for action films were taken into consideration. Till 1958,there was no overflow system.
• Stunt picture producers, till 1957, used to go up to China Creek to shoot their films. It was Ram Dayal who started to shoot outdoor productions in Khandala,Jamnagar,Simla, Delhi,Jaipur, Jagadari,Srinagar andFatehpur Sikri. Location shooting outside studios was also initiated by Ram Dayal. In 1956, Ram Dayal went location shooting of his film Ustad, starring Ashok Kumar and Anjali Devi in hotels and Bungalows. Forst time in the history of Hindi films artificial lights were used for shootingthis film. The photography,by Ram Dayal himself,was the film's highlight and brought kudos to him. It was from Ustad that night shooting was brought into vogue. Previously many "A" grade film producers used to dupe their night scences.
• It was after Ram Dayal's initiative in Do Raha that producers started recruiting artistes andtechnicians directly from the Film Institute in Pune.
• Ram Dayal has theprivilege of introducing film personalities like Rakha in Hasinon Ka Devta,Prem Chopra in Spane,Shakti Kapoor in Veeru Ustad and the famous Indo-Pak writer Qatil Shaify in Teri Yaad.It was Ram Dayal who tood thescreentest of actor Manoj Kumar and photographed him in a small role for Fashion.He had earlier screen tested Ameeta for Thakur. He also has the honour of introducing Ram Vidhani,managing director of Excelsior Theatre and president of Theatre-owners Assosiation to the film industry. He intoduced directors like Sikandar Khanna,Feroze Chinoy andRadhakant and re-introduced Roop K.Shorey who directed his Akalmand andAplam Chaplam and director B.Subhash for his film Takdeer Ka Badshah.Robin Bhatt was also introduced by Ram Dayal when the former was asked to helm the affairs by the latter for his Zoro.
• Ram Dayal is the first producer who started shooting at Bhalla House at Pali Hill,Bandra,Citizen Hotel at Juhu andH.S. Raail's bunglow where many pictures are still shot. He shot his film Hasin Ka Devta at Maharaja Palace at Mysore.
• Ram Dayal is also credited for having produced a film on a very delicate subject viz 'life of a prostitute' in Prabhat with a new girl Jai Kaushalya and a new director Sikandar Khanna.
• There was a time when Hindi films were not allowed to be exhibited in South India. In 1968,an all-India agitation was launched for not allowing South Indian films to be shown in North India. The agitation continued for a month at theend of which the issue was amicably settled at a meeting held in Madras.
• He was the first man to promote old films for videos.In 2980, he tied up with video company 'Esquire' and purchased more than 400 odd films of which the production sector earned several crores.
• At his insistence film makers like B.R.Chopra and Ramanand Sagar startedmaking films exclusively for video. He made them have a tie-up with Esquire. And on the request of Prem Vachani, he introduced Gulshan Kumar of T-Series to the Bombay market. Later he assigned his film Karam Yudh to T-Series on an outright basis. These days most producers and music companies are working on this pattern.
• He was the first to inroduce designer Manish Malhotra's costumes in his film Param Dharam.
• He had the privilege to work with Suraiya, Madhu Bala, Meena Kumari,Nirupa Roy, Usha Kiran, Pandari Bai and Anjali Devi (of South),Parveen Babi,Kimi Katkar, Sangeeta Bijlani,Shammi Kapoor, Shakila, Nigar Sultan, Mahipal, Sheikh Mukhtar, Prem Nath, Ajit, Jayant, Rehman, Navin Nishchal,Rekha, Bindu, Helen, Amrish Puri, Anita Raj, Ashok Kumar, K.N.Singh, and many others.
• He has had the privilege of doing business through Shreechand Hinduja of the Hinduja group. Hinduja was instrumental in getting his film Baghi sold for the Iran territory and received a cheque of Rs.1350 as service charges.

• He is founder of the Film Producers' Council. He is an active member in the executive committees of Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association(IMPPA),Producers Guild of India and Guild of India,Film Makers Combine, All India Film Producers Council and Film Produers Guild.He is the Hon. General Secretary of Charitable Trust of F.P.G. of India,Chairman of ilm Producers Guild Trust.

In his days as a producer,Ram Dayal employed the services of renowned music directors like Khayyam,Chitragupt,S.N.Tripathi, Sardar Malik,O.P.Nayar,Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal,Sonik-Omi,Bappi Lahiri and Sardul Kwatra and made them dish out melodious music. Recalls Ram Dayal "Those were the days when music used to be the life of films. I remember an istance when a music company paid as high as Rs 8 crores for a film's soundtrack.Now music companiespay one crore for a film's soundtrack. Because those were the days of records of78rpm. HMV used tosend its representatives to the recording studios. Upon hearing all thesongs, they used to select a minimum of four songs that would be put on its records".
On piracy Ram Dayal is of the opinion, that the film industry should give up its fight against piracy The reason , not a single person has been convicted in the act of piracy that has been going on since the video cassette days. What the police andother related organisations have been doing is an eyewash, he adds.

Bollywood’s date with literature

Bollywood appears to have found a new love for history and literature. Despite many producers having burnt their fingers over their desire to make historical and period films, the road for such films seems to be alive and kicking. And this trend started three years back when Sanjay Leela Bhansali remade Devdas, an adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s classic novel with the same title. Today the trend has moved further. This time the intention is clearly to revive old classics and bridge the gap between the two generations. Till now about 20 films have been made on Sharat’s literary works. After him comes the name of Munshi Premchand and Gulshan Nanda, the novelist. In 1953, legendary Ashok Kumar decided to give a classic touch to Sharat Chandra’s Parineeta with the help of its director, Bimal Roy. The film is still remembered for its strong portrayal of the lead character by none other than the tragedy queen, Meena Kumari. Of late, Bollywood has been witnessing a severe drought of new ideas and new stories. So those who want to quench their thirst for good cinema have no option but to turn to history and dig out some classics to remake with new stars. If V. Shanataram made Dr Kotnis ki Amar Kahani before Independence, the trend of biopic films too helped the new film-makers to continue with their efforts to contribute substantially to cinema. If Parineeta and after that Paheli succeed, chances are bright that those trying to rake in moolah through sex and violence will learn a lesson from this rising trend. Bhatts and Mallikas of modern cinema should give way to Parineeta and Paheli presented in a new pack of entertainment—the only reason for which millions of people grace cinema halls. Bhatts and Mallikas of modern cinema should give way to Parineeta and Paheli presented in a new pack of entertainment—the only reason for which millions of people grace cinema halls. Parineeta is set in an era when women wore long-sleeved or frilled blouses and men were happy dancing during Durga Puja festivities with earthen pots in their mouths. The time depicted is early sixties and the story moves around Lolita (Vidya Balan) who lives with her relatives since her childhood. Brought up in a typical bhadralok culture, she oozes ethnic culture and etiquettes in her persona wherever she goes. She has a chance encounter with Shekhar (Saif Ali), the son of a rich businessman. Both become friends and start sharing everything in life. They share a bond between them, which is difficult to be defined in words. Their life moves smoothly and gradually love blossoms between the two young protagonists. Then an outsider, Girish (Sanjay Dutt) enters their life. He falls in love with Lolita. Meanwhile, intimacy develops between Lolita and Shekhar. The triangle of love suddenly acquires an element of intrigue, leading to greed, deception and misunderstandings. Parineeta by Pradeep Sarkar, has all the elements to become a classic in cinema but the recipe has gone wrong at some places. Pradeep has shown tremenous calibre to perform and deliver as a film director in his very first movie. He treats his technique as a tool and not as the master as happens in films made by young directors. He uses the locations as a canvas and paints the scenes over the canvas like a painter. Sanjay Bhansali was sharp on this front and that is why he sent Devdas to study in London and not to Calcutta as presented in the original novel. Some slight changes in the screenplay would have earned more patronage for the film. Despite making several changes like making Girish, an NRI, settled in England—in the novel, he was merely a Bramho Samaji, or by omitting the crucial gudda-guddi wedding celebrations which Bimal Roy had picturised over the song Gore gore haathon mein, with Meena Kumari running to Shekhar’s room and dropping the garland around his neck. Finally Lolita, with her eyes downcast confesses to Girish that she is a married woman. Vinod Chopra and Pradeep Sarkar have been courageous in adapting the 1914-published novel to 2005 but is the message as relevant to present times? Would the film be able to evoke the same nostalgia, the pain and passion that Bimal Roy projected several decades ago? If Meena Kumari was ethereal when crushed by the sarcastic Ashok Kumar in black and white version of Parineeta, doe-eyed Vidya Balan is angry and heartbroken by the caustic remark of her beloved. While in the older version, Ashok Kumar and Meena Kumari exchange flower garlands, the present pair exchange a gold chain in the new adaptation. The adaptation does not carry the ‘I am a married woman’ scene. It would have looked too contrived in modern times when married women don’t even look married. Instead, the director used Sanjay Dutt to convey the message to Saif and what’s more appealing is that Sanjay combines anger with disappointment while expessing his feelings. The present film is high on technique and has melodious music too. However, what it lacks in is the script. Even the dialogue aspect, handled by Rekha Nigam, is weak. Among the actors, special mention is to be made on none other than Rekha, who sizzles on the screen even after crossing the age 50, providing the newcomer Vidya Balan a run for her money. Another remake on the cards is that of the Bengali literary classic, Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam (made by Guru Dutt in 1962 ) which was to have been directed by Rituparno Ghosh but is now being given to Deepa Mehta to direct for Pritish Nandy Communications. The success of Godan and Gaban, based on the works of Munshi Premchand, is also under consideration by a new crop of producers and directors. The film-makers should certainly be allowed to present literature on the silver screen, but without instituting changes either in the incidents narrated in literature or in the period to which the literature belongs.

Bollywood connection with the underworld

Relations between the Bollywood and Mumbai's underworld was never a secret ,at least for the Mumbai police. It may be a shocker for the common people to know how much close these two worlds are. The number of films on underworld and subtle glorification of bad boys like "Nayak nahin khalanayak hain hum"have increased.The kind of coversations between filmy stars and the underworld dons have been played on national news channels and heard by large number of unsuspecting viewers. They wondered whether they were hearing some sound track of a new Hindi movie. The reason was both the stars and the underworld dons used the kind of lingo normally reserved for Mumbai's underworld by the Bollywood script-writers.
Tapes heard by viewers wereactual conversations recorded by seuths of Mumbai police between Bollywood's stars turned Khalnayak and underworld don Chhota Shakeel known for his total influence over the film world in Mumbai.
The fact is that the nexus between Bollywood and the underworld is neither new for the media nor for the government,only characters in this episode are changing like any film script.According to my knowledge, this nexus first of all, came to light with the release of Amitabh Bhachchan starrer Gulshan Rai's "Deewar" in 70s and script-writers Salim-Javed(Akhter) had got too much fame from this film.This film was scripted on the life of Haji Mastan.Then again in 70s the release of Prakash Mehra's "Zanzeer" rrefreshed this nexus. But all the time with the passing of days itwas thrown in the dustbin.
Then in the late 80sSharjah seemed to have become the hottest spot with several celebrities who are seen cheering the cricket matches sitting in the stadium--while some looked genuinely interested, for some it was clearly written on theoir faces-- they were there as they were asked to attend the match.
During one of these visits ,actress Mandakini of Ram Teri Ganga Maili fame met Dawood and became his wife and actress Heena Quasar married a drug kingpin Iqbal Mirchi.Dawood's kingdom increased as brothers Noora, Iqbal and Mastakeen jooined him in Dubai. The other gangsters operating were Chhota Shakeel, Sunil Sawant and Sharad Shetty.
So you hadcricket matches watched by celebrities rubbing shoulders with Dawood and performances wheree you had top stars dancing for the audience--andDubai was the destination.
For the third time this nexus and in other words, the first signs of underworld's entry into the film industry was way back in 1981 when the Pathan brothers, Amirzada and Alamzeb kidnapped Hindi film Shakti's producer Mushir Riyaz and the ransome amount ofRs.11 lakh was the first big mafia blow to the industry.
The first shock to the industry was when Gulshan Kumar was shot dead as he refused to compy with Saleem's demands. Shakeel's list of victims' increased--producer Mukesh Duggal,Dinesh Kumar andAjit Waghani. His men openly fired on Manisha Koirala's car. Soon he was paid protection money by the celebs of Bollywood.
Soon the underworld took up joint ventures andgrabbed overseas distribution rights. As Hindi films gaining popularity aborad and overseas distribution was a very important aspect of the industry. With the mafia becoming the owners, they started to dictate terms and the choice of actors and actresses for the films.
Under such circumstances,unless the authorities really take up a massive clean up operatio to weed out these underworld connections nothing can be done. This is not merely a link between the dream city and the underworld but it can go much further and harm the national security. Theses Karachi based underworld dones are not merely interested in making a few bucks or find themselves glorified on the celluliod. They are actually kingpins of the freaded indeclared was launched by meighbouring state ofPakinstan. Investigations are still on and even the cases are still lingering in couts onthe serial bomb blasts im Mumbai city which killed several innocents. Pakistani intelligence used the unsuspecting underworld links to accomplish their target of attacking vital installations in the commercial capital of the country.
The state authorities might find it difficult to deal with dons who operate from an enemy country and keep o killing people and influencing Bollywood from a distance. It is not merely providing rotection to a few top actors or actresses but it is serious business unearthing links thse underworld dons have developed without any inhitions. It requires political will to hit out at the guilty and inthe processeven po;itical bigwigs may be hit
Experts say the disclosure of Salman Khan's phone conversations with actress Aishwarys Rai in which the macho film star admitted to his links with the underworld has again brought into focus the mafias's control over the industry. If Bharat Shah can be put behind the bars for his recorded conversations with underworld don,then why these film personalities should be let go free.
Believe it or not, the Hindi film industry is a veritable and safe haven for criminals,gangsters and mass murderes. As the overwhelming majority of Hindi films produced are funded by various mafias, hired killers, undergroung terrorist organizations and hardcore criminal gangsters. Little wonder then ,that the prime objective of these films is to glorify the outlaw,the bandit and murderer,to idolize the law of the gun and to legitimize the life of the killer.

Women Problems On Silver Screen

Real Heroine In Hindi Cinema

Cinema has played its role in re-imaging women as opposed to the prevalent stereotypes.It is only now that leading women in the Hindi cinema have started commanding an equal price with the male leads. Otherwise the films have always had some great women stars spearing on the silver screen,like Meena Kumari, Devika Rani,Nirupa Roy,Nargis,Smita Patil ,Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bhaduri etc., and whenever films about strong women is discussed,V.Shantaram’s Duniya Na Mane tops the list. In this film ,an orphaned girl,Nirmala, (Shanta Apte ) is married to an old rich widower but she revolts and refuse to consummate union with her husband as her younger step-son casts with roving eyes at home. The similar issue was raised by Kamal Amrohi in his film Daera, in which a 16-year old girl,Meena Kumari,--fortunately she,herself too,was 16 years old—is married tp an ailing man old enough to become her grandfather.The film is blistering indictment of a syatem that heaps injustices upon helpless women.Meena Kumari hardly spoke in the film but used her eyes to such telling effects that wecome away with a deep impression of her character. For all the glamour Nargis brought to the silver screen and more so in the films made under the banner of R.K.Films but her portrayal as Radha in Mehboob Khan’s Mother India stradding the barren fields weighed down by plough ,is one of the enduring images of women in Hindi cinema.

Some of the most memorable films have been those that were women-centric in which heroines not only confronted gender biases but the shaped the changing attitude of the women in the society.

Meena Kumari’s whose personal life remained a shambed, projected her tribulations and agony through her roles so realistically that her reel performances appeared to be a chunk from her real life.The character she played on the silver screen, identified most with one she portrayed in Guru Dutt’s Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam ,as chhoti bahu incarnate in real life. Her role as chhoti bahu had seeds of revolt in it for she challenges a feudal system in which the woman has to just busy themselves with making an remaking jewellery.She claims the attention ,she deserves from her husband even if the end is tragic.It is important to note ,that when Guru Dutt was filming the song,na jao sayian churake bahian,was so matching with her real life that compalled Guru Dutt to have wine to bring originality and to have wine in actual, she was ready to work free of cost in the film.Resultantly, Dutt had to kneed down before her.Her remarkable roles in Mere Apne,Phool aur Patthar,and Dushman etc can’t be ignored

In Shekhar Kapoor’s Bandit Queen, Seema Biswas brought as animal-like wuality to her portrayal that was a take off on the life of dacoit Phoolan Devi. In Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Damini, Meenakshi Sheshadhari witnessed her brother-in-law and his friends rape a maidservant while the entire family conspire to hush up the matter,the docile daughter-in-law.Damini rebels against the family and its respectability code ,celebrating the triumph of courage of an ordinary woman.

Madhu Bala’s classic good looks still enjoys the sex-symbol status in the country ,her lop-sided smile and come-hither looks, she imparted in the tantalizing number aaiye meherban baithiye jan-e-jaan (Howraha Bridge) epitomized magic.The most enduring image of Madhu Bala is when she dared to challenge the might of the Mughal empire while singing pyar kiya to darna kya in Mughal-e-Azam.

In Asit Sen ‘s Khamoshi, Waheeda Rehman as Radha,a nurse in the mental hospitalepitomised resilience of an Indian woman. In Guide, she, as Rosie, was at her expressive best when standing in a cave,cries out Marco Main jeena chahati hoon. She thus voices the anguish of women who suppress their talent and bad marriage. In Hrishikesh Mukerjee’s Abhimaan,Jaya Bhaduri as wife Uma,portrays the travails and turmoils of a wife in whose married life cracks develops as her jealous but less talented husband starts feeling threatened by the success of his own wife.. These films questioned the suppression of a woman’s creativity in marriage.

In Arth and Masoom,Shabana Azmi mirrored the despair and despondency of a wife while accusing her husband of infidelity.In Mirch Masala , Smita Patil slaps an official who feels that he can have the village woman he so desires and to protect her honour ,takes refuge in a spice factory run by women. Resultantly ,the women of the village protest in her favour with the Sarpanch’swife defying her husband and the feudal authority that he represents.In Gulzar’s Aandhi, Suchitra Sen gave a powerful performance of a jilted wife fulfilling her political ambition. The looks of Nutan in Bandini as she poisons the nagging wife of her lover made the role a landmark. The role of Nutan in signifying the plight of a married woman in Khandan,Meherban can’t be ignored. Salma Aga exposing the sufferings of divorced Muslim woman, in B.R. Chopra’s Nikaah, was superb.

These are some of the films in which women showed the dare to go against the tide are odes to womanhood and proved as mirror of the society.