Talaq (1938 film)

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Talaq
Directed bySohrab Modi
Written by
  • Anand Kumar
  • Gajanan Jagirdar
Produced byMinerva Movietone
Starring
Music by
  • Mir Saheb
  • Anand Kumar (lyrics)
Production
company
Minerva Movietone
Release date
  • 1938 (1938)
Running time
127 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi-Urdu

Talaq (lit. 'Divorce') is a 1938 Indian social melodrama film directed by Sohrab Modi for Minerva Movietone. The story was written by Anand Kumar and Gajanan Jagirdar with dialogue and lyrics by Anand Kumar. Music was composed by Mir Saheb.[1] The film had Naseem Banu in the lead role with Prem Adib, Gajanan Jagirdar, Navin Yagnik, Sheela, and Abu Baker as co-stars.[2] It is about Roopa (Naseem Banu), a married woman, who fights for better divorce laws, which she then employs to be free of her husband. However, things ultimately go against her when her second husband uses the same laws to divorce her.

Following the debacle of his earlier films based on Shakesperian tragedies like Khoon Ka Khoon (1935) and Said-e-Havas, Modi shifted to making social contemporary dramas like Talaq, Jailor and Meetha Zahar (1938).

Plot

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Roopa (Naseem Banu) is married to Niranjan (Navin Yagnik), a politician whom she wants to divorce. However, Niranjan does not want a divorce. With the help of Chhabilelal (Gajanan Jagirdar), the editor of the magazine Aandhi, Roopa manages to change the divorce laws so that she can leave Niranjan. Meanwhile, Niranjan helps a married woman named Shanta (Sheela) and falls in love with her. However, due to his views on divorce, he is unable to marry her. Roopa then marries Amarnath (Prem Adib), who uses the same laws she fought for to divorce her.

Cast

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Subject

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The film deals with the social subject of divorce, which being rare in India at that time was also mainly a male prerogative.[3] Focusing on the "rights of women to divorce", Modi's contemporary social films including Talaq were hugely successful.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Ashish Rajadhyaksha; Paul Willemen; Professor of Critical Studies Paul Willemen (10 July 2014). Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. Routledge. pp. 276–. ISBN 978-1-135-94318-9. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Cast Talaq 1938". Alan Goble. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  3. ^ Robert E. Emery (21 February 2013). Cultural Sociology of Divorce: An Encyclopedia. SAGE Publications. pp. 1199–. ISBN 978-1-4522-7443-0. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Pioneers in Indian Cinema Sohrab Merwanji Modi". IndiaHeritage.org. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
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