Tag: philim

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Ezra Mir’s Pamposh

Still no trace of the film…but I managed to find the synopsis and international reviews of the film. One would have thought finding a Cannes nominated (1954) film, that too India’s first (Geva) color (processed entirely within the country) would be easy, special in the year when the people are celebrating 100 years of Indian Cinema. Yet, no trace.

Said ‘L’ Humanite:
“A real discovey and revelation! ‘Pamposh’ is one of the most poetic works, completely impregnated with the most delicate sensitivity! The image are of rare beauty! This film reaches in its simplicity a rare nobility and grandeur…It is a typical  national work, which is not only a picturesque evocation of manners and traditions which are not common to us of a distant and mysterious folk, but also prescribes us the human content of a rare healthiness, a rare grandeur and emotion…”

Pages from ‘The world of Ezra Mir’ (2005) by N. J. Kamath.

Not so uncanny that the film Indian film in color should have been shot in Kashmir. And the film’s Kashmir connection would be the music by Mohanlal Aima.
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anomalous dreams of paradise

Elliot Jacoby & His Orchestra – Kashmiri Moon (1928)

 

‘Chinna Chinna Kannile’ from Tamil film ‘Then Nilavu’ (1961)

 

‘Tu Navtaruni Kashmiri’ from Marathi film Madhuchandra (1967)

‘Chakkani chukkala’ from Telgu film Pasivadi Pranam (1987)

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First film banning in Kashmir

“Under the direction of the Maharaja, G.E.C. Wakefield got a cinematograph film produced depicting the
unhygienic conditions under which women delivered children and the harsh treatment which was meted out
to them in the homes of their husbands. The scenario for the film was written by Ram Chandra Kak,
Political Secretary, (afterwards Prime Minister). It was an effective medium of propaganda for
social reform; but Pandits reacted unfavourably to the move and opposed the public exhibition of
the film. When an attempt was made to give a show of it in Srinagar, some young men resorted to
picketting. The Englishman was blamed for interference in the domestic affairs of the community.
Base political motives were ascribed to him. Ram Chandra Kak too came in for severe criticism.
Telegrams were dispatched to the Maharaja imploring him to intervene. Finally, Wakefield yielded to
the pressure and the film was withdrawn and never shown anywhere again.”

From ‘Daughters Of The Vitasta: A History of Kashmiri women from early times to the present day’ (1959), by Prem Nath Bazaz. More about the book and the complete book here.

G.E.C. Wakefield was Prime Minister of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir from 1929 to 1931.

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Previously: Tamasha comes to Kashmir, on missionaries who traveled to Kashmir with Magic Lantern in around 1903.

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Balraj Sahni on Kashmir

Balraj Sahni in Garam Hawa (1974)

“In those days the first mass upsurge of the people of Kashmir was taking place against the princely rule. Its objectives were not very clear then. and the middle-class young men felt quite bewildered and had little sympathy for the struggle of the people. Sometimes jokes were cracked at the expense of Kashmiris, who would stampede in the face of a lathi-charge and leave heaps of their chappals (footware) and lohis (warm blankets) behind on the ground. While the sentiment against the British was strong, there was little sympathy for the struggling Kashmiris. Balraj, therefore sprang quite a surprise one day, when he said, sitting among friends: “Why, all the purse-strings in the state are either in the hands of the Maharaja or the Punjabi traders who do not belong here and who exploit the local inhabitants.”

Balraj’s onservation was disturbing to many ears.
Balraj’s association with Kashmir, starting from early thirties, was to become deep and intimate. Kashmir became for him a kind of second home. He revelled  deeply in its idyllic surroundings, long hikes, long swims in the lakes, and mountain-climbing. Kashmir was to become for him a place of deep personal attachments. It was here that he wrote some of his charming little poems and stories It was also to become a field for his cultural and literary activities in the years to come.”

~ Balraj My Brother by Bhisham Sahni (first published in 1981).

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Shyam Benegal’s Nayi Sherwani, 1986

In year 1986 Doordarshan ran a tele-film series called ‘Katha Sagar’ directed by few prominent and few would-be prominent film-makers who presented adaptations of some famous international short stories, but all of them set in various parts of India.  In on of these adaptations, Shyam Benegal turned Gogol’s The Overcoat into Nayi Sherwani and set it in Srinagar. The adaption with its scenes of Kashmir life and office bureaucracy makes one think that Gogol had written the story for Kashmir and not Russia (Amin Kamil’s Kafan Chor seems like a darker sequel to Gogol’s story).

Along with Om Puri as the lead, the film had a lot of local names from the Srinagar station like Prana Shangloo, Shadi Lala, Kapil Warikoo, Vinay Raina and Mehraj Shah.

Here’s the film:


video link
Part 2

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Bollywood Koshur Rhymes


Ya pir madat kar
Dast gir madat kar
Haya ho
Hya ho
Allah mera badshah
Molla mera badshah

Haya ho
Hya ho

From Ek thi Ladki (1949), one of the earliest visit to Kashmir by Indian Cinema. [Came across it thanks to an awesome Kashmir Song compilation by dustedoff]

The boatmen in the song can be heard chanting ‘Ya peer Dastgir’, which is like the traditional chant for Kashmiri boatmen and the muslim working class. Also, the probable reason why we see more than two men rowing those boats is that around that time regattas organised on Jhelum river and Dal Lake by Christian Missionary School were an important  part of the Srinagar experience.

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Previously:
Koshur British Rhymes: “There is indeed a “nursery rhyme thrill”, a certain Hickery-Dickery-Dock patter of rhythm, which anyone can hear (as Aldous Huxley heard it) any time, of day, in the streets of Kashmir…”

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Ismail remembers Shammi

Mohd. Ismail is probably the biggest Shammi Kapoor fan from the state. Ismail spent most of his life doing odd jobs at Pahalgam, Gulmarg and other tourists spots that were popular with Bombay filmwallas. He met lot of stars, had himself photographed with quite a few of them. But Shammi Kapoor remained a lifelong favorite. While most of Kashmir Media was a bit quite on passing away of Shammi Kapoor, Ismail was publishing Remembrances. Ran into Ismail at my sister’s wedding reception. He was supplying water.

Savoy Hotel Jammu. February 2012.
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Rahman Rahi by M K Raina

For me the interesting part in this film isn’t hearing the famous Kashmiri ‘poet of silence’ actually speak but it is the way his voice comes across as a person, when he talks about his life and then as a poet, when he talks about the thoughts that invade his mind. It is the way his poetry interacts with a listener and then how people interact with him in person, question him. ‘Why silent?’ isn’t the only question. The question could also be why words written decades ago, concerns that first etched them, why those words still offer quasi-resonance.

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First section  of a Ranjit Hoskote essay titled ‘Winter Thoughts about Spring’ (link) starts with a conversation with Rahman Rahi and ends with part were Bollywood eats up culture.

Right, Rahman Rahi with Lata Mangeshkar.

In this film, perhaps the most ironic part is when one sees a young Kashmiri girl in middle of a discussion about future of Kashmiri Language, trying to make a strong point and then struggling to find a Kashmiri word for her point. Or perhaps most ironic part is watching the poet quote Koshur poet Mahjoor and Dilli poet Mir with just as much ease. Or perhaps it is hearing him worry about losing his memories: ASI protected Sun temple ruins of military campaigner Lalitaditya and Muslim Auqaf Trust run Charari Sharief of soul campaigner Alamdar-e-Kashmir Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Wali/Nund Reshi.

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