1938
Events
January
* January 1
** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
social melodrama film directed by
Sohrab Modi
Sohrab Merwanji Modi (2 November 1897 – 28 January 1984) was an Indian stage and film actor, director and producer. His films include ''Khoon Ka Khoon'' (1935), a version of Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'', '' Sikandar'', ''Pukar'', ''Prithvi Va ...
for Minerva Movietone. The story was written by Anand Kumar and Gajanan Jagirdar with dialogue and lyrics by Anand Kumar. Music was composed by Mir Saheb. Following the debacle of his earlier films based on Shakesperian tragedies like
Khoon Ka Khoon
''Khoon Ka Khoon'' () also called ''Hamlet'' is the first Hindi/Urdu 1935 sound film adaptation of the Shakespearen play Hamlet. Directed by Sohrab Modi under his Stage Film Company banner, it is cited as one of the earliest talkie versions o ...
(1935) and Said-e-Havas, Modi shifted to making social contemporary dramas like ''Talaq'', ''
Jailor
A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...
'' and ''
Meetha Zahar
''Meetha Zahar'' (Sweet Poison) is a 1938 Indian Hindi/Urdu-language social drama film directed by Sohrab Modi for his Minerva Movietone productions. The screenplay was by Gajanan Jagirdar with dialogue by Munshi Abdul Baqi and director of photo ...
'' (1938). The film had Naseem Banu in the lead role with Prem Adib, Gajanan Jagirdar, Navin Yagnik, Sheela, and Abu Baker as co-stars.
Roopa (Naseem Banu), a married woman, fights for better divorce laws, which she then employs to be free of her husband. However, things ultimately go against her when her second husband uses the same laws to divorce her.
Plot Outline
Roopa (
Naseem Banu
Naseem Banu (4 July 1916 – 18 June 2002) was an Indian actress. She was referred to as Naseem and known as "Beauty Queen" and the "first female superstar" of Indian Cinema. Starting her acting career in the mid-1930s she continued to act t ...
) is married to a politician Niranjan (Navin Yagnik) whom she wants to divorce. Niranjan is not in favour of divorce. Helped by the editor Chhabilelal (
Gajanan Jagirdar
Gajanan Jagirdar (2 April 1907 – 13 August 1988) was a veteran Indian film director, screenwriter and actor. He worked in Hindi Cinema, also called Bollywood, as well as Marathi cinema. The period of 1942 to 1947, saw his rise as a film direct ...
) of a magazine ''Aandhi'', Roopa manages to get certain changes brought in the divorce law that allow her the separation from Niranjan. Niranjan helps a married woman, Shanta (Sheela) and falls in love with her. Due to his sentiments regarding divorce he is unable to marry her. Roopa marries Amarnath (Prem Adib) who then uses the same laws that she had strived to get implemented in order to divorce her.
Cast
*
Naseem Banu
Naseem Banu (4 July 1916 – 18 June 2002) was an Indian actress. She was referred to as Naseem and known as "Beauty Queen" and the "first female superstar" of Indian Cinema. Starting her acting career in the mid-1930s she continued to act t ...
as Roopa
* Prem Adib as Amarnath
* Gajanan Jagirdar as Chhabilelal
* Navin Yagnik as Niranjan
* Sheela as Shanta
* Abu Baker
* Khwaja Sabir
* Shanta Dutt
* Khan Mastana
* Vimala Vasishth
Subject
The film deals with the social subject of divorce, which being rare in India at that time was also mainly a male prerogative. Focusing on the "rights of women to divorce", Modi’s contemporary social films including ''Talaq'' were hugely successful.