Madhumati (1958)

 Madhumati (1958)

*ring  Dilip Kumar, Vyjantimala, Pran , Johny Walker , Jayant , Tarun Bose

Music – Salil Chowdhury, Lyrics- Shailendra, Cinematography - Dilip Gupta, Story - Ritwick Ghatak, Producer/ Director - Bimal Roy

Forbidden territory .........

Anand [ Dilip Kumar]  is heading to Shamgarh timber estate to  join as  manager and  walks  from the railway station towards the guest house.  The mountains, the stream , the trees , musical bird calls , the wildflowers enthral him – there’s  a goatherd grazing   his goats and   village  women  with pots on their hips.  They’re singing a ‘pahadi’  song  as they walk on a narrow path  to fetch water .  The quietude and beauty of Shamgarh  inspires Anand  to sing  a joyful song  as he ambles up and down the hillside . He moves his arms and hands like  a conductor of music – life’s a beautiful symphony!

That’s till he sees the other side – the heartless felling of tress , the corrupt timber contractor Bir Singh, [ Tiwari]  the abusive violence inflicted  on innocent , illiterate villagers and the inhuman felony of  Zamindar  Ugranarayan [ Pran].  

But amidst the ugliness  of human nature , there’s the luminous Madhumati – as fast as a  deer , as pristine and beautiful as the stream which separates the tribals from the zamindar. Her father Paan Raja [ Jayant] was  the tribal king but the vagaries of time and deceit have pushed him to the periphery  of  the forest which  he once ruled.  Madhumati  watches Anand sketching in the forest but runs away – it’s only after she’s convinced about his innate goodness that she draws closer. Anand runs  to rescue a village child whom Ugranarayan would have ruthlessly  trampled under his horse hoofs and  rebukes  him , ‘ jaanwar kahin ka ‘ [ you are an animal ] words which scorch Ugranarayan . When Anand is summoned to meet him [  he’s Anand’s employer ] Ugranarayan lashes out at servants, ‘ jaanwar kahin ka ‘

There is peace and bliss in the forest glade where he and Madhumati meet every evening – five in the evening, after he has finished the estate work. Madhumati is never late  - she knows that it’s when the shadow of the tall pine falls on the boulder. She believes that  fluttering  birds  portend  danger ,  ants rushing in a file  on the pine tree bark  signal  rain and  a flower offered to God falling  down means a short  life . But then true  love never dies ..... it’s forever. 

A song of love and longing  , beyond here and now.

 

Endnotes –

*Shooting at Ghorakal near Nainital . ‘Suhana safar....’ was shot at the spot where the trail ascends to the Ghorakhal temple. The summer villa of the Nawab of Rampur [ now Sainik School Ghorakhal ] which was across was used  for  shooting Ugrnarayan’s  haveli and Anand’s guest house  .  Madhumati was the first film of Hindi cinema to be shot in Kumaon.

*Dresses of Madhumati were authentic Pithoragarh ones  – Sudhendu Roy the Art Director painstakingly used handloom to create the layered skirts. The silver jewellery was from Vyjantimala’s personal collection – Madhumati’s  silver anklets jingle long after she jumps to her death.

*  The distributors did not want Salil Chowdhury and neither did Dilip Kumar. Bimal Roy stuck to his guns . Shailendra and Salil Chowdhury decided to create a magical score. After the film’s release , Salil Chowdhury carried a long playing record for SD Burman. SDB listened in rapt attention and said,  ‘Sholil , if they still call you a flop , just pack up and go back to Calcutta. ‘

Source of endnotes – Madhumati – Untold stories by Rinki Roy Bhattacharya