Master Vithal

Master Vithal was an actor who happened to be on the path of the juggernaut of Hindi cinema history. As the hero of the first Indian talkie, Alam Ara, Vithal witnessed the same force that elevated him to a permanent place in film annals, also becoming the cause for the annihilation of his career.

Before the advent of the talkie, this Maharashtrian hero was labelled the Douglas Fairbanks of India and enjoyed immense popularity as the swashbuckling star of early silent stunt films. Master Vithal was discovered by Bombay’s Sharda Film Company, where he helped shape the fledgling action genre in silent films with names like Masked Cavalier and Warrior. People interpreted the success of his rebel heroes as an indication of India’s innate desire to throw off the yoke of the British. In the late 20s, Vithal made a very popular pair with the notorious spitfire, Zebunissa and when he shifted loyalties from Sharda to the bigger Sagar Studios, in 1930, he became famous as the highest paid male star of the time.

In fact, so popular was he that when Ardeshir Irani of Imperial Film Company was planning India’s first talkie, Alam Ara (’31), it was decided that it was imperative to have Vithal as the hero of this Muslim tale of yore. So, though he was not on the Imperial payroll, Master Vithal was signed on for Alam Ara. When his parent studio sued him, it was Mohammed Ali Jinnah (the architect of Pakistan and later its first head of government), who defended Vithal in court.

Tragically, however, it was discovered during the course of the shooting that Vithal just could not speak Hindi well and was consequently shown either unconscious or in a trance for most of the film. Master Vithal’s career in the talkies could not survive this ignominy.

As no talkie offers were forthcoming, Vithal went back to doing silent films in 1932. But the days of the cue cards were obviously over.

With Shahu Modak as the hero, Vithal took to direction and his Awara Shehzada (’33), where he introduced the concept of a double role, was a success. Vithal continued to do the sporadic Hindi or Marathi film but that early luminescence of his career had dimmed.

It remains one of the film world’s greatest ironies that just as Alam Ara entered the history books, it was synchronous with the termination of its hero’s glorious days.

Himanshu Rai

If Phalke is credited with pioneering the production of films in India, Himanshu Rai is generally lauded for lending sophistication to the nascent craft. The founder of Bombay Talkies was indeed a true visionary with ideas forever fermenting in his head.

The westward-leaning Rai became one of the first Indians to collaborate with European filmmakers. While studying Law in London he grew interested in acting and vowed to improve the general standards of Indian films with foreign inputs. With great dexterity this pushy youngster convinced Germany’s Emelka Studio to co-produce the silent film Light of Asia (’27), with The Great Eastern Film Corporation, Delhi. Starring Himanshu Rai in the role of Gautam Buddha, Light Of Asia was a success in Germany. Rai now decided to become a producer himself. He collaborated with various filmmakers including the famous German studio, UFA and made Shiraz and A Throw Of Dice.

After his marriage to the beauteous and well-connected Devika Rani, Rai joined forces with IBP of England and made India’s first English-Hindi bilingual film — Karma (’33). Premiered at London’s Marble Arch Pavillion, Karma won rave reviews but the general public’s reaction was decidedly cool. Rai was said to have turned the thin story of two royal heirs seeking to modernize their kingdoms into a west-oriented spectacle, exploiting India’s poverty to picturesque advantage.

After Karma, Himanshu Rai decided to concentrate on the Indian audience. He realized his long cherished dream in 1935, when he started his own studio — Bombay Talkies. India’s first public limited film company, it was launched with an authorized capital of Rs 25 lakhs and with prominent citizens on its board of directors.

Thereafter, Rai gave up acting and concentrated on supervising the shooting of quality films like Acchut Kanya (’36) and Bhabhi (’38), which his studio came to be associated with. Bombay Talkies’ films popularized the concept of actors speaking film dialogue in simple Hindustani instead of high flown Urdu. Rai, a Bengali, stipulated that any line that he could not understand would not be allowed in the script.

Rai patterned Bombay Talkies on Hollywood studios like MGM. Everything from a sound stage to a laboratory, to a studio for designing, to an extensive library, was contained within the Bombay Talkies portals.

Tragedy struck in 1939, when World War II was announced. Rai’s old associate and director of all Bombay Talkies films till then, the German Franz Osten, was forcefully interned by the British Government. Overwork and mental strain took their toll. Leela Chitnis, then under contract with Bombay Talkies, describes in her autobiography the violent showdown between Rai and some staff members that precipitated Rai’s nervous breakdown. Himanshu Rai never really recovered and in 1940, Bombay Talkies was left rudderless by his death.

Within 15 years, the studio that Rai built in Malad, Bombay, no longer dealt with the art of celluloid myth making. Fate had decreed that it be turned into an industrial estate instead.

Gope

Beginning his career in the early 1930s, Gope Kamlani went on to become one of Hindi cinemas most popular comedians. Such was his appeal that at the height of his career, he shared credits with the films lead actors.

One of nine children, Gope completed his education in Karachi (now in Pakistan). His interest in acting was nurtured by filmmaker K.S. Daryani, who encouraged Gope to join films. With his help, Gope convinced his father and moved to Bombay to become an actor

His first film was Insaan Ya Shaitan (1933), which starred among others Jaddan Bai, the mother of actress Nargis. Gope soon won critical and popular acclaim for his comic roles and became the leading comedian of his time. Amongst his better-known films are Hindustan Hamara, Patanga, Mirza Sahiban, and Chori Chori.

Gope also tried his hand at playing negative roles. In the 1951 Dilip Kumar-Madhubala­starter Tarana, he teamed up with Jeevan to play the villain, albeit in a comic style. He started Gope Productions in the 1950s, which made such films as Hangama and Biradari. Some of these features were directed by Gope’s brother, Ram Kamlani.

Married to actress Latika, Gope continued to act till his death in 1957.