Pujari (film)
| Pujari | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Aspi Irani |
| Produced by | Ardeshir Irani |
| Starring | Mumtaz Shanti Masood Bipin Gupta Baby Mumtaz |
| Music by | Hansraj Behl |
Release date | |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Pujari is a 1946 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Aspi Irani and produced by Ardeshir Irani in his final production venture. The film stars Mumtaz Shanti, Masood and Bipin Gupta, and features Madhubala as a child actor credited as "Baby Mumtaz". The film's music was composed by Hansraj Behl in one of his early breakthrough works in Hindi cinema.
Cast
[edit]- Mumtaz Shanti
- Masood
- Bipin Gupta
- Baby Mumtaz
Production
[edit]The film was the final production by Ardeshir Irani.[3]
It was one of the earliest films featuring Madhubala, who appeared as a child actor under her contract with Ranjit Studios.[4][5]
Music
[edit]The music for Pujari included ten songs composed by Hansraj Behl.[6] The film marked Behl's breakthrough in the Hindi cinema.[7]
The soundtrack included the devotional song "Bhagwan Mere Gyaan Ke Deepak Ko Jala De," sung by a young Madhubala. Additionally, there were two songs rendered by the classical vocalist Firoz Dastur of the Kirana gharana.[7]
Reception
[edit]The film received a scathing review from Baburao Patel of filmindia, who panned it as a "rotten show" with a dull screenplay and poor direction. While he praised Bipin Gupta's performance and Mumtaz Shanti's dancing, Patel ultimately dismissed the venture as a boring experience and a risky proposition for film exhibitors.[8]
References
[edit]- ↑ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (10 July 2014). Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. Routledge. p. 140. ISBN 978-1-135-94318-9.
- ↑ Akbar, Khatija (1997). Madhubala: Her Life, Her Films. UBS Publishers' Distributors. pp. 44, 203. ISBN 978-81-7476-153-8.
- ↑ C, Midhun Moorthi (18 December 2023). Evolution of Cinema. Academic Guru Publishing House. p. 81. ISBN 978-81-968494-6-7.
- ↑ Booch, Harish S.; Doyle, Karing (1962). Star-portrait: Intimate Life Stories of Famous Film Stars. Lakhani Book Depot. p. 75.
"Baby Mumtaz played her earlier child roles in Ranjit's Mumtaz Mahal, Dhana Bhagat, Pujari and Phoolwari." - ↑ Menon, Rekha (1963). Cultural Profiles: Calcutta. Santiniketan. Inter-National Cultural Centre. p. 61.
"...she appeared in a succession of films which were both popular and distinctive. Of these, Pujari, Badal, Shirin Farhad and Howrah Bridge are notable examples." - ↑ Rangoonwalla, Firoze; Das, Vishwanath (1970). Indian Filmography: Silent & Hindi Films, 1897-1969. J. Udeshi. p. 213.
- 1 2 Premchand, Manek (27 December 2018). Yesterday’s Melodies Today’s Memories. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-64429-877-0.
- ↑ Patel, Baburao (1 February 1948). "Pujari — Boring and Unconvincing Stuff!". filmindia. Retrieved 16 May 2026.