Indian Film Culture - 16.cdr - federation of film societies of india

enormously popular Gunsundari, thus breaking
the monopoly of Kohinoor's permanent story
writer, Mohanlal Dave.
Gunsundari — about the dilemma of a dutiful
wife burdened by household problems who sets
out to be a good companion to her husband —
was a milestone that marked the rise of the
Indian Social Film. It was later remade by Shah
as a talkie in three different Indian languages
and each was a huge box- office success. Typist
Girl (it had only an English title) and
Gunsundari, radical in that they transplanted
elements of western life to eastern settings,
proved sensational at the box office and
according to Krishnaswamy/Barnouw, set the
Social on footing with the Mytho. Gunsundari's
heroine, Gohar, now came to be known as
Glorious Gohar.
Jealousy among the staff at Kohinoor drove
Chandulal and Gohar to seek new pastures at
Gokul Das Pausta's Jagdish Film Co. Chandulal
wrote and directed four movies for Jagdish, with
Gohar and Raja Sandow in the lead: Vishwa
Mohini (1928), Griha Laxmi (1928),
Chandramukhi (1929), and Raj Laxmi (1930).
These films mode an indelible impression on the
minds of the educated audience because
Chandulal dared to break many taboos in days
when heroines were mainly projected as good,
kind, virtuous and dutiful wives.
Shri Ranjit Film Company was founded on
May, 29, 1929, by Chandulal J. Shah in
partnership with Miss Gohar K Mamajiwala
(1910 – 1985) leading screen actress of the day.
It was still the era of the silent film and their very
first film 'Pati Patni” starring Gohar and
written, produced and directed by Chandulal
Shah, put the new concern firmly and finally on
the film map of India. Ranjit had arrived to stay.
Ranjit eventually acquired four stages and
boasted a roster of about 300 artists, technicians
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and others. They made two kinds of films:
Socials and Stunt in Hindi, Punjabi and
Gujarati. The budget ranged from Rs.35,000 to
60,000, the stunt film costing a little more than
the social.
Ranjit studio produced variety of genre, socials
historical, mythological, devotionals, dramas,
and romances period pieces, tragedies and
comedies. Ranjit Film Co. gave audiences hit
comedies like My Darling / Diwani Dilbur
(1930), Beggar Girl (1929), Rajputani (1929)
and Wild Flower / Pohadi Kanya (1930). Pahadi
Kanya had the distinction of gaining both public
approval and critical appreciation from the
Press.
It was voted Best Picture of 1930.
The list of stars discovered by Rahnjit studio is
impressive : Trilok Kapur, E. Billimoria,
Iswarlal Bhagwandas, Charlie, Dixit, Ghory,
Keshri, Suresh, Sitara, Madhuri, Ila Devi,
Madhubala, Shamin, Kamala Chatterjee,
Meena Kumari, Khurshid (Junior), Purnima,
Nirupa Roy and Kurshid. The directors who got
their first big break under the Ranjit banner are
Chatubhuj Doshi, Jayant Desai, Manibhai Vyas,
Nandlal Jaswantlal, Nanubhai Vakil,, Taimur
Behram Shah, Ratibhai Punnatar and Charlie.
Musicians who owed their first chance at Music
direction to Mr. Chandulal Shah are Master
Zandekhan, Master Bamse Kahn, Revashankar
Marwari, Jnan Dutt, Khmechand Prakash, Bulo
C Rani and Hansraj Behl.
With stars like Gohar, E- Bilimoria, Madhuri,
Motilal, Khurshid and K L Saigal on its payroll,
the Studio's boast, “there are more stars in Ranjit
than in the Heavens” was more than the
publicist's hyperbole. According to Chandulal
Shah “ They all came to Ranjit as Artists and left
as friends, because we took a close personal
interest in them. Chandulal Shah took the lead in
June 2012
Indian Film Culture