All smiles at the breakfast table, the Ganguly family, Shobha, Ashok's wife, carrying Preeti, their youngest child, on her arm, pours tea for her star husband, while son Arup addresses himself to a banana. Eldest daughter Bharati sits next to Ashok, with Rupa, the second daughter (extreme left) completing the group.

Pictures accompanying this article – Pic 1 – Pic 2 – Pic 3 – Pic 4 – Pic 5 – Pic 6

Ashok Kumar House is situated in the heart of the business quarter of Bombay on the top storey of the building is the home of the star who gives it his name.

Guarding the last flight of stairs leading up to the star’s apartment are two Alsatians. They are friendly and, when the visitor goes past them, he enters a comfortable, un-conventional-looking home, which immedia­tely strikes him as a place which is lived in, rather than a show place meant to proclaim a star’s affluence or personality.

A passage, giving on to bedrooms on the right and on the left affording a glimpse of sea over roof-tops, leads into a large sitting-room-cum-dining-room.

Here, the walls are painted pale green and the curtains are of bright red material. Three alcoves in this room are hemmed in by divans.

Above each of the cozy alcoves are two yellow shaded bracket lamps which light up the shelves built into the wall as well as another shelf placed in the corner with models of rural life in Bengal. The draw‑ing-room gives on to a semi-circular balcony.

At the far end of the room is the dining- table. Above the mirrored mantelshelf is a stuffed panther. Its teeth bared in a snarl, it dominates the entire room.

In a little niche in the wall behind the dining-table stands a vase filled with fresh flowers. Beside it is a glass cabinet con­taining carved articles and an assortment of curios. On the dining-table also is a vase, an emerald-green one, with a potted plant in it. The chairs round the dining- table are done up in red leather.

The long, mirrored shelf along the wall and parallel to the dining-table has a row of little multi-colored lights at the top which twinkle, providing a pretty effect at night. At each end of the wide mirror is affixed a pale yellow shaded bracket lamp which sheds a soft glow on the flower vases and bronze statuettes on the shelf.

Of the two bedrooms adjoining the drawing-room, one is of Ashok’s daughters, the other ‘s son’s. Next to them is the nursery of the youngest, Preeti, who, Ashok says, “Never likes to get down to the floor. You have to carry her all the time!”

Of this part of the house Ashok says laughingly, “It looks more like ‘Star’s Children At Home’ rather than ‘Stars At Home’!”

But it is the terrace bedroom, which is also his den, that really reflects Ashok Kumar’s personality. Reached by a winding staircase, it is comfortable and secluded. Here the star can be far away from the outside world, linked to it only by the telephone.

Two Jamini Roy originals, one above the bookcase and the other above the bed decorate the walls. Dark green curtains conceal a door to an alcove which serves as the star’s wardrobe.

Dark shades of green, blue and red form the color scheme and the room opens on to the terrace, affording a sweeping view of the city’s landscape. Potted flower plants, some of them in bloom, lend an appropriate garden atmosphere.

“I sleep out here in the hot weather!” said Ashok.

A love of music distinguishes the members of Ashok’s household. His daughter is an accomplished pianist and accompanies the star when he sings. Ashok has had a great fondness for singing ever since his early acting days when he used to sing his own songs. He still sings at home either when friends gather or when he throws a party, which is often. His wife and other children also share this inter­est (Source – Filmfare Magazine 1955)

Madhubala in Mahal (1949)

Bombay Talkies Mahal is a story of ghosts, spooks, apparitions, jitters, quivers, bats and snakes. It succeeds in giving one the creeps, but through more causes than one. In the initial stage the spine tingling chill of weird horror which slowly creeps down one’s back is because of the masterly genius ace cameraman Josef Wirsching whose brilliant use of the camera imparts to Mahal that dreaded foreboding of evil and terror which lurks there. But later on the cold shiver of fear which one experiences is the cumulative effect of director Kamal Amrohi’s excursion into the realms of meta-physics. In trying to tackle the subject of reincarnation Kamal Amrohi, to use the cricket parlance, merely swung the bat in the empty air. I give full credit to him for the daring and initiative that he has shown in taking up such a subject. But daring and initiative without good sense and logic are like boiled potatoes with out pepper and salt. In it’s final analysis Kamal Amrohi has failed in Mahal for the simple reason that the innumerable movie goers who go into fits of rapture over Mahal are still unable to cite a reason for their appreciation, except mumble a few words about the enthralling realism of it’s weird atmosphere. But that is a wonderful tribute to Wirsching and not to Amrohi.

According to me the greatness of Mahal as a picture lies in the towering achievement of Wirsching who photographed it. If the critics rave about it and the public applauds it, then it is because of Josef Wirsching, the wizard with the lens who has made of Mahal a milestone in the annals of the Indian film industry. The magic of his camera, has through the witchery of it’s crafts imparted to Mahal an atmosphere of awe and wonder. The fluttering curtains, banging doors, shaking chandeliers, fleeting shadows on the wall have all been so vividly captured on the celluloid that it throws a grim mantle of mystery over Mahal.

But now coming to Kamal Amrohi’s role in the picture as a director I fail to perceive any noteworthy part which he has played in the creation of Mahal, except for the boundless opportunity which he gave to Wirsching to exhibit his talents and prowess in his own field. One would have preferred a more sensible and logical solution of the mystery than the drivelling gamut of reincarnation which badly cripples whatever interest audience may have held in the story. From the moment Amrohi strove to bring the three generations hobnobbing into the picture he missed the mark and in trying to hit an overbound he failed to contact the ball.

In the first half of the picture the eerie atmosphere fits in well with the mood and the events depicted. But from the moment Vijaylaxmi steps in and Ashok Kumar drags her through an interminable process of climbing and panting, does Mahal from a well balanced picture suddenly merges into a blood curdling boredom, which, as I have already mentioned, also gives one a cold fright.

The most glaring inconsistency in the story was the letter written by Vijaylaxmi, in the role of Ashok Kumar’s wife, to her sister-in-law confiding the secret of suicide to her. If she wished her husband to die because of her false confession than why did she write that letter thus, most obviously ruining her own plans? Then again how did the last letter of Vijaylaxmi went to dead letter office when all others were delivered safely? Obviously to bring about the court scene and other following scenes which would otherwise could never have been presented as Amrohi wanted.

Kamal Amrohi’s idea of a Dak Bungalow seems to be a dilapidated broken down, dusty and inhabitable shack, nestling precariously on what seems to be a mountain. Its only dwellers appear to be bats, snakes and cobwebs. Such gross and blatant ignorance is ridiculous and Amrohi would have done better to see what a Dak Bungalow looks like before depicting it in Mahal. Granting even for the sake of argument that Dak Bungalows are a battleground for bat and snake fights and that this particular one was not inhabited for a long time, then one would question as to how a well regulated clock giving correct time happened to be there?

Ashok Kumar and Madhubala have both given the finest performance of their careers, thus adding extra luster to their already shining reputation. The rest of the cast including Vijaylaxmi, Kanu Roy, and Kumar did their parts well.

If only Amrohi had left spiritualism  alone and wound up this mystery melodrama in a normal way, Mahal would have become the finest picture to come out of the Indian film industry.

Music by the late Mr. Khemchand Prakash was most melodious. Songs were well composed and dialogues were written intelligently. The defect of Mahal lay in it’s mystic phenomena. Kamal Amrohi’s direction was both brilliant and deft.

Mahal is an unusual picture. By all means it is worth a visit if only to see the superb photography of Josef Wirsching and to indulge in the luxury of seeing something new on the Indian screen. (The Motion Picture Magazine, December 1950)

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 1949, Genre – Mystery/Thriller, Country – India, Language – Hindi, Producer – Bombay Talkies,  Director –Kamal Amrohi, Music Director – Khemchand Prakash, Cast - Madhubala, Vijayalaxmi, Kumar, Kanu Roy, S. Nazir, E. Tarapore, Sheela Naik, Neelam, Ashok Kumar

Nargis in Deedar (1951)

Adapting much of the K.L. Saigal type of melodrama, the tale opens with adolescents Shamu (Dilip Kumar) and childhood sweetheart Mala (Nargis). Mala’s rich father (Sapru) disapproves and when the children have an accident while horse-riding (a portent of the tragedy to come), he has Shamu and his mother evicted. The trauma kills the mother and turns Shamu blind. He is rescued and brought up by Champa (Nimmi) and her canny guardian, Choudhury (Yakub). Champa loves Shamu but he cannot forget Mala. Dr Kishore (Ashok Kumar), an eye surgeon moved by the music Shamu sings on the streets, restores the hero’s eyesight. Shamu then sees that Mala, to whom he has dedicated his life, is engaged to his benefactor, Dr Kishore, and he puts his eyes out again.

Dilip Kumar’s best-known tragic performance clearly evokes the Oedipus legend with blindness signifying an escape from the unbearable present and mourning for a lost innocence. The film, however, splits its 1ead protagonists, e.g. through turn-wipes repeatedly juxtaposing Dilip against Ashok Kumar and Nargis against Nimmi, a technique that evokes the Bengali literary melodrama (as does the cliche of the eye operation). In spite of the many unimaginative and maudlin sequences, some attempts at realism resemble aspects of Satyajit Ray’s approach, e.g. the long track along the kitchen floor in Champa’s hovel or the changing light patterns on the ceiling behind Shamu when he sings Naseeb dar pe tere azmaane aya boon. The film was edited by Bimal Roy and contains some of the best songs composed by Naushad and sung by Mohd. Rafi, Lata, Shamshad Begum and G.M. Durrani including Bachpan kai din bhula na dena, Chaman mein reh kai veerana, Dekh liya maine and Meri kahani bhoolne waley.

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 1951, Genre – Drama, Country – India, Language – Hindi, Producer – Filmkar, Director – Nitin Bose, Music Director – Naushad, Cast - Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Nargis, Nimmi, Yakub, Tabassum, Rattan Kumar and Sapru.