Vintage film : Achhut Kanya (1936)

June 25, 2010 at 9:32 pm (1930-1939, vintage film)
Tags: achhut kanya (1936), ashok kumar, devika rani, kusum kumari, mumtaz ali, saraswati devi, sunita devi

Achhut Kanya (Hindi: अछूत कन्या) is a 1936 Hindi film by Bombay Talkies. The film was one of several successful Bombay Talkies collaborations between Franz Osten, who was a German filmmaker, Niranjan Pal, Himanshu Rai, and their leading lady, Devika Rani. Ashok Kumar played the male lead. Music was by Saraswati Devi. Among the early super-hits in the Hindi film industry, the film dealt with the social position of low caste girls and the problems they faced.

The film opens at a railway crossing where a man is about to kill his wife when the narrative spins into the past via a song. The story is of the unhappy love affair between Kasturi (Devika Rani), the Harijan (untouchable) daughter of a railway crossing guard, and Pratap (Ashok Kumar), the Brahmin son of a grocer. At first, rumour and mob violence are deployed to lethal effect in order to maintain a traditional and oppressive morality. Later, when the main protagonists are about to marry, rumours and malicious methods are employed to trigger renewed violence until the on-rushing train of fate stops the strife.

Ashok Kumar & Devika Rani – Khet Ki Muli :  

Ashok Kumar & Devika Rani – Main Ban Ki Chidiya Banke :  

Ashok Kumar – Kise Karta Moorakh Pyar Pyar :  

Ashok Kumar – Peer Peer Kya Kahe Pyare :  

Devika Rani – Udi Hawa Mein Jati Hai :  

Mumtaz Ali & Sunita Devi – Chooriyan Laya Anmol :  

Saraswati Devi – Kit Gaye Ho Khewanhar :  

Kusum Kumari – Nadiya Dheere Baho, Hum Utrat Paar :  

P.S: Some visitors on this blog, particularly Mr Surjit Kohli and Mr Sanjay Jain have been large hearted and magnanimous enough in correcting me whenever I commit errors in naming the songs or the singers. Their support is a big help in carrying this blog deeper into the mist of Hindi film music of the old era. Thank you all.

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