Talaq (1938 film)

Talaq
Talaq
Directed by	Sohrab Modi
Written by	Anand Kumar; Gajanan Jagirdar;
Produced by	Minerva Movietone
Starring	Naseem Banu; Prem Adib; Gajanan Jagirdar; Navin Yagnik;
Music by	Mir Saheb; Anand Kumar (lyrics);
Production; company	Minerva Movietone
Release date	1938;
Running time	127 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi-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 Outline

Roopa (Naseem Banu) is married to a politician Niranjan (Navin Yagnik) whom she wants to divorce. Niranjan is not in favour of divorce. Helped by the editor Chhabilelal (Gajanan Jagirdar) of a magazine Aandhi, Roopa manages to get certain changes brought in the divorce law that allow her the separation from Niranjan. Niranjan helps a married woman, Shanta (Sheela) and falls in love with her. Due to his sentiments regarding divorce he is unable to marry her. Roopa marries Amarnath (Prem Adib) who then uses the same laws that she had strived to get implemented in order to divorce her.

Cast

Naseem Banu as Roopa
Prem Adib as Amarnath
Gajanan Jagirdar as Chhabilelal
Navin Yagnik as Niranjan
Sheela as Shanta
Abu Baker
Khwaja Sabir
Shanta Dutt
Khan Mastana
Vimala Vasishth

Subject

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

^ 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.
^ "Cast Talaq 1938". Alan Goble. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
^ 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.
^ "Pioneers in Indian Cinema Sohrab Merwanji Modi". IndiaHeritage.org. Retrieved 17 December 2014.

External links

Talaq at IMDb

[RajadhyakshaWillemen2014-1] 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.

[Emery2013-3] 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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