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After the recent Musing about him, Pramathanath Sastry expressed puzzlement about how a Gujarati came to be in Lahore. I started to rummage through my collection of books, magazines, newspapers and cuttings. Finally remembered reading about him in the book 'Punjab Kee Filmee Taareekh' by Parvez Rahi published in Lahore.
Here is the relevant Urdu text with my translation.
Gul-e-Bakavali was a clean and a successful Punjabi film. Its dialogues were very interesting. This film was produced at the cost of 60,000 rupees and it made 15 lakhs of rupees. The music director of this film, Ghulam Haider was paid 250 rupees a month. This film was released in Prabhat Cinema Lahore on November 12, 1937.
Seth Dalsukh Pancholi's story of coming into film production goes something like this. He was a distributor of films, owner of Empire Distributors in Lahore. One day producer-director R L Shorey invited him to come to his studio. So Pancholi went to the studio in Muslim Town, where director R L Shorey was busy shooting his film 'Shahar Khamoshan'. On the set were Shyaman and Majanoon. Film director R L Shorey introduced the actors to Pancholi.
A few days after this incident, producer R L Shorey went to Pancholi and asked him to finance his film 'Sohni Mahiwal'. Pancholi agreed to do this but put many conditions before he could finance it. After the release of this film Pancholi made a huge profit. Because of this Pancholi gave away all of his distribution business to his elder brother and he himself started to produce films.
Now You Know!
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Long forgotten star of Mohan Studios. She passed away this day, February 18 in 2012. I wrote a book on her (see the Published Books Section).
Earliest known photo of her captured from her first film (1936).
Here is what her son, Salim Shah, wrote about her in the book:
Our mother Ishrat Indurani Shah represents in many ways the typical homemaker of Indian Cultural tradition with primary responsibilities to the well being of her family and close relatives. Being fortunate to get a chance to become a star in the early days of the Indian Film Industry, she worked hard to acquire the required arts of singing, dancing and acting. Born with a prodigious memory, which was unblemished to the end of her life, she found it easier to deliver the dialogues as required by the script. She took to heart the advice of her mother that women should have their own career and a house in their own name. To achieve this goal she worked two shifts to earn a double salary and saved enough to have her own house before she was 18 years old in 1940. When she was asked to give up her career, she willingly accepted the role of a home maker who successfully raised six children. She did not interfere in their choice of career or of life partners. She led by example rather than words.
She was generous to a fault with all kinds of seekers who came to her for help, whether close relatives, friends or strangers. She was fearless in facing challenges, whether from petty mischief makers during the Mumbai Aamchi days of turmoil when hoodlums came to her gate chanting slogans to go back to Pakistan or from those thrown by fate. She willingly gave up her social life with friends in Mumbai to join her children in Southern California after her husband passed away.
She enjoyed her grandchildren, her regular exercise, prayer and watching soap operas on Indian TV channels in the last two decades of her life. She has left an indelible impression, especially on the girl grandchildren who are all high achieving success stories. Her tombstone has an apt favorite phrase of hers:
"Knowledge is the greatest wealth".
Now You Know!
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She was Shobhana Smarth's mother.
Film Frontiers of Freedom.
Now You Know!
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