Anarkali (1953) :
Brief Review -
Just because K. Asif made the legendary Mughal-e-Azam, we all forgot this sweet little film. Having seen K. Asif's magnum opus, Mughal-e-Azam, I am in a position to say that Anarkali was the best example of filmmaking of its time. Asif's film is legendary and the greatest magnum opus ever made in Bollywood, no doubt, but before that, there was this sweet little film by Nandlal Jaswantlal. Anarkali is based on the same tale of Salim and Anarkali that we have been listening to for years. In the end slate, it does not forget to mention that the famous tale is fiction and it hasn't got anything to do with reality because the history of the Mughals didn't mention it officially anywhere. When I say it's a sweet little film, that doesn't mean it's a small film by scale. No, it has a big scale and there are some scenes shot with a huge crowd and lavish set design. It has all the features that surpassed any contemporary Magnum Opus would have, except for "Aan". The film has more romance and drama than Mughal-e-Azam, but falls short of fascinating experience values and timeless impact. I remember so many dialogues and songs from K. Asif's historical epic, but I can't remember any such things about Jaswantlal's film. There is less glamour, and even a larger-than-life vision is missing. While Madhubala's entry was memorable, here Bina Rai enters just like any common heroine. Dilip Kumar would behave like a king, while Pradeep looked like an ordinary commander. Their chemistry and performance are good, though. The songs by C. Ramachandra and Vasant Prakash are superb, with some ethnic values attached to them. A few dialogues by Saigal and Butt work on occasion, while Nandlal Jaswantlal's direction is extremely convincing according to the narrative. Overall, a great movie experience from the early 50s cinema.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
