Since 1999
Articles
Articles on Hindi Films
- Details
After Musing 82 was posted, Yasir Abbasi presented two photos in which the Madan was written as maiDan in Urdu and Hindi.
<>
After which I presented this page in Gujarati
Sujoy Chatterjee also mention the street in Calcutta, which has maiDan in the name.
My guess is that it is a variation in the pronunciation. When JF Madan was in Bombay, everybody knew to call him madaan. However, when he went to Calcutta, the Britishers perhaps started calling him maiDan, because of similarly spelt familiar English words, madding, badass, daddy :) It would be nice to find out the story from any Madans in Bombay or Calcutta. It is a Parsi surname, so one should not confuse it the similarly written Panjabi surname.
Now You Know!
- Details
on the cover of Sarang (Hindi) magazine of All India Radio issue of January 7, 1948.
Now You Know!
- Details
I had never seen anything like this in my whole life. This and hundreds of other documents were preserved by the family of Master Ebrahim. I have selected a few for my book.
This is a letter of recommendation for Master Ebrahim from Chandulal Shah after his contract with them ran out. Within months, he was working for the newly opened All India Radio station in Bombay.
It is a historical marvel
Let us take it from the top. You see the note that Maharaja Jamsaheb of Nawanagar is a patron. You may have read about it, here is the proof! Next we have their famous logo, the telegraph phrase “Boxfilm” and the telephone number 60327. They announce (merely five years after the first talkie) that they are high-class sound picture producers. The address is merely Dadar, Bombay, no street name or building name. The letter is neatly typed with the date and document numbered, it begins formally.
Again, in a formal dry prose they tell us that he worked with them for about three years (typical contract length), knew how to play many instruments and worked diligently. After wising him success, Chandulal Shah signs it.
I had been dyeing to see at least one film contract from the 30s, thank you Iqbal Ajmeri for fulfilling my wish.
Now You Know!
Page 363 of 828
