Love Calls - My Thoughts on Mahal (1949)

Some films are like the serene wind blowing on a placid lake - they do not excite even the remotest and slightest of the reactions; some are like the ripples that form on the surface as a gust of wind flows through - a superficial excitement of water that leaves no impression either on the water or the atmosphere.... some are like the ripples that are created when a pebble falls into the placid pool - as such the waves of ripples created increase in strength, reach a crescendo and then fall apart, leaving no trace of the events except a memory that diminishes or is embellished by the passing of time and age.

But then there are winds that flow the way only winds when excited can flow - they not only wipe up the water in a towering crescendo of power, fury and ruthlessness but create a pressure zone enough to disrupt all that is all around and leaves behind a saga of impressions formed and forever etched in the consciousness of life and time - anyone who has had the misfortune of having faced or seen the terror of a sandstorm or a hurricane or even a fast-moving whirlpool will attest to the power that can be invested in a mild breeze in it's time of fury.

The wind is not alone in possessing in it's hidden cloak such dangerous instruments of death and destruction. Such is also often the result of upheavals or momentous occasions in both life and art and since art replicates or at least tries to replicate the effects of life, more so is evident the impact of a certain event in the life and times of an environment. There are often events in life that can create such a momentous impact on life so as to leave the life shattered and in tatters, Man frustrated and sad and trying to come to terms with a devastation so immense and so dangerous that only they may survive whom God wills to survive.

Mahal (1949) was one such movie that not only left an impression but created a saga that still is as fresh as it always was and the story depicts circumstances that may still be there and are there all around us, if only we look at it closely. This was one of the last major films to come from the one-time poer centre of Hindi moviedom - Bombay Talkies; somewhat like the last hurrah of a candle that flickers in ful glory before being snuffed out by the cruel hand of fate. So it has been always and si it was with Bombay Talkies as well.

In every way, Mahal was a movie way ahead of it's time - In an age that spoke of firm social conventions, the film dared to show that a married man falling in love with a young girl outside his marriage; in an age that spoke of unthinkable social constraints, the movie showed a girl in love with a married man and ready to leave everything for him, lose everything for him; in an era when being grey was tantamount to committing harakiri, the film showcased both the hero and the heroine daring to enact characters beyond the pale; in an era when social relationships were the norm, the film dared to show lovers ready to reject anything and everything that came in the way of their love - Indeed, this was a tornado being unleashed on the sleepy, sylvian surroundings of Indian Cinema and Indian cinema and Society would never be the same again. Come to think of it, there would be no Gumraah, no Guide and definitely no Silsila if there was no Mahal in 1949!

There was more to appeciate in the movie - this was the first movie that spoke of Reincarnation as a subject (strange isn't it? - the usage of traditional symbols to break a conservative society that lives only by it's norms) - one of the most movies to use supernatural symbols and occult as the basis and still be away from the horror stories that appear to be a horror to the genre itself. If there had been no Mahal, where would be classics like Madhumati and Karz?

But the greatest success of the film was that it created two legends - both of whom would be forever evergreen and the epitome of a quality that would become their own in this great profession, never to be given, never to be claimed by any forever and ever and ever. The first was Madhubala, who went on to become the epitome of grace and beauty in the Hindi film Industry and the second was Lata Mangeshkar who went to become the voice of the nation. Such was the power and reach of this one film; such it's impact and impression!

Ashok Kumar as Hari Shankar has given one of the best performances of his career in Mahal. The role of a man who is hopelessly in love and keeps getting deeper and deeper in the dark world is so well-enacted that you can feel the mesmerising love that keeps him from his own understanding and reasons. Look at those eyes as they bulge and then dilate without being over-expressive and the way in which the great actor lets his hands and shoulders droop as if proving to one and all that sometimes love can be an intoxication - an intoxication so heady that even those who have been intoxicated cannot feel it without themselves being enamoured of it.

The scene wherein he is commanded by his beloved to kill an innocent woman who happens to be of no relation to him and who has also not done any harm to him and the way in which he approaches the murder could have made many a Thespians shake in their boots and cry their approval till they were hoarse with wonder. One can feel the mesmerism and the firm intention and the absence of all reason in that one scene and trust me, it's mindblowing. 60 years on from that fateful day, even today that scene binds itself to you so well that one has to accept the power of a performance that was done without any aid or acting classes.

Ashok Kumar had been one of the top-ranking stars and a huge box office draw throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s. However as the end of the decade approached, he found himself upstaged by younger heroes like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Shyam and others. This was hence in a way Ashok Kumar's reply to the new Turks and an assertion of his star power. Ashok was to be a top draw star for a few years more and even thereafter when the troika established their sway over the industry and one of them, Dilip Kumar took over the reigns of super stardom, Ashok still remained a force to be reckoned with still appearing as a mature hero well into the 50s and the 60s.

Kanu Roy as Shrinath, Ashok's close bosom friend performs his role with an uncommon solidity. His reasoning and logical viewpoints perform the perfect counterfoil to the mesmerised Ashok and provide a very strong contrast to the film - one such that the viewer is forced to look at the film from both the angles and still agree to disagree with both while still making a decision of his own. Kanu is the strong shoulder that provides the movie with a strong support and makes for an interesting viewing. As an actor, Kanu has a easy way with the camera and a strong presence that makes for impressive viewing.

Vijayalakshmi as Ranjana, Hari Shankar's highly possessive, vengeful and abusive wife Kamini plays her role with a lot of spirit. Although one can feel the anger, hatred and frustration that's endemic to the character, Vijayalakshmi ensures that her act manages to be complex without being overbearing, vengeful without being disgusting and self-righteous despite being overtly wrong. Her act of finally committing suicide and making it look like a murder to implicate her husband and destroy his life and career may appear to many as a vengeful act but at the same time the manner in which the act is committed makes one understand the psychological frustrations and the depth of darkness in her heart effortlessly.

It's sad that such brilliant performers did not get a chance to display their histrionics in India but whatever little they could portray is enough to give us a glimpse of that great store of talent that was the hallmark of their performances.

Kumar as Hari's father plays his role effectively. Somehow although the actor is earnest and there is no flaw in his performance, still his role fails to win over the hearts of the audience. This could very well be the reason of the film's over-emphasis on the love story and the reincarnation angle and so can be excused still this could have been a strong point of the film too had Kumar's role been given some more meat and weightage

And then there is Madhubala. The film rides firmly on her strong shoulders. As a 16 year old girl who is both a ghost and a human being, the actress rides herself effortlessly to pristine glory. This was her first major film and she was paired with one of the biggest stars of the time but look at her face - there is not a single shred of nervousness, tension, frustration or fear on the face of the great actress. On the contrary she seems to relish the challenge and appears to be more wanting in her ambitions.

Look at the way in which she plays the ghost - there have been actresses who have played the ghost but none could bring to the character of the ghost the eerie silence, the mysterious feel, the resonating silence and the ravishing beauty that was the hallmark of this great actress. Indeed, Madhubala was one who could have risen to the stars but her own insecurities and family pressures and love problems contributed to the downfall of what could have been a stellar career.

Still Madhubala's name is forever carved in stone - from Mahal to Mughal-E-Azam, every film of hers just speaks volume of an actor that lived short but lived life the way life is supposed to be lived! It was nice knowing you Madhubala - very nice!

The music of the movie is a legend in itself - Khemchand Prakash was one of the top composers of the 1940s and is indeed one of the legends of Hindi Cinema. Too bad that composers of his stature have been forgotten by the world of celluloid. In Mahal, Khemchand created magic with one song that will never be forgotten. This song is the precursor of all songs that followed in the horror genre and has still remained as a sign of how horror film scores should be composed

Aayega, Aayega..... Aayega Aanewaala Aayega

Simple words - profound impact. I do not know what Naqshab was thinking when he wrote these simple lines but today, it has become a leitmotif and every afficiando of Hindi Music has this song on the tips of his lips

Deepak Baghair Kaise Parwaane Jal Rahe Hain
Koi Nahin Chalata Par Teer Chal Rahe Hain

What else can I say - the words speak for themselves!

It's not that the film did not have strong songs - almost all songs in the movie are brilliant - the only thing was that this song was sung by someone called Lata Mangeshkar - a woman with a voice that could make even angels sing hosannas to her.... .This was the song that gave birth to the Lata wave and the wave has today become a tsunami and today no fan of Hindi music can dare forget the name of the singer who has given so much to Hindi music

One more song that makes this album different is 'Ye Raat Phir Naa Aayegi' by Rajkumari, one of the best 'mujra' songs ever.

Kamal Amrohi was always different from the others. When he wrote, he wrote; when he directed, he directed and when he produced, he produced!

Think about this - This man made only 4 movies in his entire career; out of them 2 are considered all time classics (Mahal and Pakeezah), one is considered the strongest movie made on a feminist concept (Daera) and one, although a bitter flop (Razia Sultan) is still acclaimed for it's direction and performances - Can anyone beat this profile?

It was a challenge to create a horror-cum-thriller movie in the 1940s in India without the kind of support and finance as was available in Hollywood still look at the movie and see it's efficacy. The entire move was shot indoors and there are no cue moments, no bathing women, no sexual innuendoes, no gore, no make-up, absolutely nothing still you are bound to feel the terror in your heart. The movie also has a theme that one could not think of except in mythological films - to bring such a theme in a mainstream commercial film was unheard of but it went on to become a successful formula for the ensuing generations. The use of one song has a constant source of mystery was also unheard of but slowly became the way mystery movies would be shot henceforward.

Add to it the daring subject that had a much-married man fall for a young girl of 16 who would love him at the cost of everything and for whom he would put his life, his career and his family at stake and all this in the conservative environment of the 1940s - this was hara-kiri but the film was one of the biggest hits of the time proving yet again that Society is shaped by how men think and not how it wants men to think.

Mahal is one of those films that brought Hindi Cinema to the fore of the world - it's important that we today are able to catch it's feelings well and look back in pride at this movie of an era when people did not do movies for business but because they lived cinema!