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Published: 30 August 2017

Last Updated: 04 September 2017

Jyoti is Bindu's Mom

Har Mandir Singh sent me all the special issues of Nai Duniya (Indore) and in one of them it said that Jyoti was Bindu's mother. Har Mandir also has a rule about having two independent sources. Luckily a very knowledgeable friend confirmed it. So, I mentioned it on RMIM. Somebody quickly pointed out that Jyoti, who acted in Aurat (1940) was married to G M Durrani. More research showed that Bindu's mom was actually Jyotsna Desai, a stage actress. I immediately accepted my mistake.

What about the 2 independent sources? Turns out that my friend had spent lots of time in Indore and his source was the same magazine that had the mistake!

Now you know!

 Dharti Ke Lal (1946)

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Published: 29 August 2017

Last Updated: 04 September 2017

Special Effects

Trick photography was invented soon after photography itself was invented. Phalke was a known trickster. In his Lanka Dahan (1917) Anna Salunke played both Rama and Sita. They did not forget these things when talkies came. In Awara Shahzada (1932) Sahu Modak played a double role. Don't let anyone tell you that special effects were invented much later.

Now you know!

 Narsingh Collection 679

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Published: 28 August 2017

Last Updated: 04 September 2017

All of us know about non-film songs that were used in films. These are from private records, dramas, nautankis etc. Perhaps the most famous is "nadee naare na jaiyo shaam" originally by Gulab Bai, the famous nautanki artist. It was used in Mujhe Jeene Do (1961).

But which was the earliest song so used? To answer that we would need to know about non-film records. Luckily, MIchael Kinnear of the SIRC has done all the work. From his first book that covers 1899-1980, we find the song "jo main aisaa jaanatee preet kiye dukh hoye" from the play Bhool Bhulaiyan, sung by Miss Subhashi. Interestingly, a talkie was made in 1933 with the same name, most likely based on this drama, but this song was not used. 

Of course, everybody knows at least one Hindi film in which this song was used.

Now you know!

 Jay's recent BCSP songs 1