Lal Dupatta
Lal Dupatta (transl. "Red Scarf") is a 1948 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by K. B. Lall and produced by Akash Chitra.[1] Starring Madhubala, Rajan Haskar and D. K. Sapru, the film tells the story of Shobha, a doomed village girl whose romance with a zamindar goes into awry due to some misunderstandings.[2][3]
| Lal Dupatta | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | K. B. Lall |
| Produced by | Akash Chitra |
| Written by | K. B. Lall |
| Starring | Madhubala Rajan Haksar D.K. Sapru |
| Music by | Gyan Dutt |
| Cinematography | Fali Mistry |
| Edited by | Moolgavakar |
Release date | 10 December 1948 |
Running time | 112 min. |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Lal Dupatta premiered in theatres on 10 December, 1948, and proved to be a commercial and critical success, with critics praising Madhubala's performance and Lall's direction. Lal Dupatta marked a major turning point in the career of Madhubala, who attained stardom following the film's success.[4]
Plot
The film revolves around Kanwar, a young zamindar of Amirpur, who falls for a farmer's daughter named Shobha. When the Manager of Amirpur, who is a close relative of Kanwar and is jealous of his riches and property gets to learn this, he tries creating misunderstandings between Shobha and Kanwar. On the day of their marriage, the Manager gets Shobha's father murdered by his goons. Moreover, he declares Shobha as the illegitimate child of her father, and pays an old lady to act as her mother. Kanwar, on learning that Shobha is a "sin", throws her out of his house. She is now left with nothing to eat and nowhere to live. Other villagers refuse to provide shelter to her.
Shobha, with the help of her friend Sukhiya manages to learn the truth of Manager. When she confronts the Manager about this, he tries to molest her. She soon gets the grip of a gun and shoots him. As the film ends, she is seen standing happily on a hill with Kanwar, her red scarf "Lal Dupatta" flying and a sense of triumph on her face.
Cast
The main cast of the film was:[1]
- Madhubala as Shobha
- Rajan Haskar as Kanwar
- D.K. Sapru as Manager
- Ulhas as Mukhiya
- Ranjeet Kumari as Sukhiya
- Kesari as Sawan, one of Manager's goons
- Miss Gulzar as the lady who acts as Shobha's mother
Crew
- Dialogue: Manohar Khanna
- Photography: Fali Mistry
- Audiography: Moolgaavkar
Production
The film was initially named Apna Raj but was renamed Lal Dupatta to make it seem a woman-centric film.[5]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Gyan Dutt and D.N. Madhok, Shams Lakhnawi and Manohar Khanna wrote song's lyrics. "Jahan Koi Na Ho" was a popular song.[6]
| No. | Song | Singer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Jahan Koi Na Ho" | Sulochana Kadam |
| 2 | "Ari O Albeli Naar" | Shamshad Begum, Mohammed Rafi |
| 3 | "Bhala Ho Tera O Rula Dene Wale" | Geeta Dutt |
| 4 | "Mere Uljhe Uljhe Sapne" | Surinder Kaur |
| 5 | "Meri Phool Bagiya Mein" | Shamshad Begum, Surinder Kaur |
| 6 | "Ari O Ab Tere Bin" | Ram Kalbani, Zohrabai Ambalewali |
| 7 | "Bujh Gaya Dil Ka Diyaa" | G.M. Durrani |
| 8 | "Chalo Jamuna Ke Paar" | Mohammed Rafi, Sulochana Kadam, Shamshad Begum |
| 9 | "Chanchal Man Kahe Dhadhke?" | Surinder Kaur |
| 10 | "Mora Lal Dupatta Udta Jaaye" | Surinder Kaur |
| 11 | "Mere Dil Ki Ram Kahani Sun Ja" | Surinder Kaur |
| 12 | "Meethi Baatein Suna Ke" | Geeta Dutt |
Release and reception
Lal Dupatta was initially released on 10th December 1948 at the Royal Opera in Bombay (today Mumbai).[7]
The film received positive reviews by critics. In Filmindia's review, Baburao Patel wrote that, "K.B. Lall has given us a good picture. It is excellent in parts and good all around." Patel praised Madhubala highly for her performance. He stated that "Madhubala acquires a new screen personality [in the film] [...] and plays Shobha beautifully and proves herself at once competent and versatile in both light and pathetic sequences. Her dialogue is also emotionally delivered."[8]
Apart from the critical recognition, the film was a commercial success and helped Madhubala in "attaining stardom". The Indian Express said that her work in Lal Dupatta established her as a leading lady.[4]
References
- "Lal Dupatta (1948) - Review, Star Cast, News, Photos". Cinestaan. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- Akbar, Katijia (2011-04-01). I Want to Live: The Story of Madhubala. Hay House, Inc. ISBN 978-93-81398-21-0.
- "Lal Dupatta on Moviebuff.com". Moviebuff.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- "The Queen of Hearts". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
- FilmIndia (1948). New York The Museum of Modern Art Library. Bombay. 1948.CS1 maint: others (link)
- "Songs from Lal Dupatta (1948)". www.cinestaan.com. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
- FilmIndia (1949). New York The Museum of Modern Art Library. Bombay. 1949.CS1 maint: others (link)
- "Lal Dupatta (1948) – Review – Cineplot.com". Retrieved 2020-10-06.
External links
- Lal Dupatta at IMDb