{"id":4928,"date":"2019-05-12T13:29:09","date_gmt":"2019-05-12T07:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/?p=4928"},"modified":"2019-05-12T21:02:50","modified_gmt":"2019-05-12T15:32:50","slug":"romancing-the-reel-vijay-bhatt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/romancing-the-reel-vijay-bhatt\/","title":{"rendered":"Romancing the Reel: Vijay Bhatt"},"content":{"rendered":"

The illustrious life and times of Vijay Bhatt is a man\u2019s kaleidoscopic journey towards achieving his creative nirvana<\/em>. One is amazed by the hardships he must have encountered to achieve what he did. A railway guard\u2019s son, Bhatt was born in Palitana, Gujarat on May 12, 1907. In his twenties, he moved to Bombay, along with his elder brother Shankarbhai Bhatt. Vijay completed his schooling from St Xavier\u2019s while Shankarbhai took up a job. Keeping his passion for theatre alive, he continued his studies eventually joining Bombay Electric Supply and Tramways Company Limited (BEST) with an electrician\u2019s diploma. At BEST, he lasted till he became the Drawing Office Superintendent.<\/p>\n

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Vijay Bhatt (Pic: Wikipedia)<\/p><\/div>\n

The love for theatre led Vijay to quit the job despite obvious parental resistance. The struggle to survive and find a foothold in showbiz began. A couple of Gujarati theatre scripts penned by him were accepted and successful, but his aim was cinema \u2013 though of the silent form in those days.<\/p>\n

A much-awaited meeting with Ardeshir Irani (the maker of India\u2019s first talkie\u00a0Alam Ara<\/em>) changed his life. Irani managed Studios of the Royal Film Company for its owner Abu Husain. On Irani\u2019s recommendation, Vijay approached Husain with his script. Husain\u2019s nod cleared the way to showbiz and director K P Bhave made Vijay\u2019s first script into a silent film –\u00a0Vidhi ka Vidhan<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Shree<\/a>

Ameeta and Bharat Bhushan in Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu<\/em> 1953 (Pic courtesy: Photographic Lobby Card, Osianama)<\/p><\/div>\n

Association with Ardeshir Irani led to two more scripts hitting the screen \u2013\u00a0Pani Mein Aag<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Ghulam<\/em>\u00a0(1929) \u2013 both produced by Irani. Having gained confidence with some success, the Bhatt brothers launched their own production studio. The Royal Film Company was to produce a series of silent films before releasing their first talkie\u00a0Arabian Nights (Alif Laila)<\/em>\u00a0in 1932, just a year after Irani\u2019s Alam Ara<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Vijay soon acquired a studio at Andheri, named it Prakash Studios and launched the famous Prakash Pictures banner under which some of the greatest films of Hindi cinema were made beginning with\u00a0Actress<\/em>\u00a0in 1934. In\u00a0Sansar Leela<\/em>\u00a0(his first Gujarati talkie), Vijay Bhatt launched Zakaria Khan, christened him Jayant and launched him as the leading man in\u00a0Bombay Mail\u00a0<\/em>(1935),\u00a0Challenge <\/em>(1936),\u00a0His Highness<\/em>\u00a0(1937),\u00a0State Express\u00a0<\/em>(1938) and Bijli<\/em>\u00a0(1939). (G P Sippy launched Jayant\u2019s son in 1975. He was the iconic Gabbar Singh in Sholay<\/em>!)<\/p>\n

\"Photographic<\/a>

Pradeep Kumar and Shashikala in Patrani<\/em> 1956, directed by Vijay Bhatt (Pic courtesy: Photographic Still, Osianama)<\/p><\/div>\n

Vijay Bhatt turned director with Dreamland<\/em> in 1936. The plot was inspired by Hollywood\u2019s\u00a0The Invisible Man<\/em>, and required trick photography. A young poster painter, Babhubhai Mistry from the studio was pivotal in assisting for trick scenes. Mistry is now acknowledged as a wizard of special effects in the industry for the six decades before computers took over!<\/p>\n

In Leather Face<\/em> (1939), Bhatt launched Mehjabeen, still at a tender age, and named her Baby Meena. This is how the legendary Meena Kumari was unveiled. She matured as an artist with each film, did scores of mythological movies and action flicks under Wadia Movietone<\/em>\u00a0before returning to her parent banner for\u00a0Baiju Bawra<\/em>\u00a0in 1952.<\/p>\n

\"Baiju<\/a>

Bharat Bhushan and Meena Kumari in Baiju Bawra<\/em> 1952 (Pic courtesy: Photographic Still, Osianama)<\/p><\/div>\n

This colossal hit changed the fortunes of the actress, bagging her maiden Best Actress Award for the film. Bharat Bhushan, playing the title role opposite Meena, shot into the big league, and the music director, Naushad swept awards and accolades for that year. Vijay Bhatt was one of the earliest producers to spot the potential in Naushad with Mala<\/em> in 1941.<\/p>\n

In 1939, on his visit to Valsad to meet Gandhiji at the ashram, Bapu suggested a film on the saintly Gujarati poet Narsi Mehta. Bhatt signed the lead pair of Prabhat\u2019s\u00a0Sant Tukaram<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 Vishnupant Pagnis and Durga Khote and, after some meticulous research, made\u00a0Narsi Bhagat<\/em>\u00a0(1940) in Hindi and Gujarati. The film was a hit, winning critical acclaim all over the country.<\/p>\n

\"Narsi<\/a>

Durga Khote and Aundhker in Narsi Bhagat<\/em> 1940\u00a0(Pic courtesy: Photographic Still, Osianama)<\/p><\/div>\n

Buoyed by this success, Vijay Bhatt turned to Ramayana for inspiration for his next milestone.\u00a0Bharat Milap\u00a0<\/em>(Hindi) \/\u00a0Bharat Bhet<\/em>\u00a0(Marathi) hit the theatres in 1942. Several historians and curators were taken aboard to develop this project. With Bharat\u2019s unstinting devotion to Rama as the central theme, the film is considered the most authentic excerpt of the great epic on celluloid. Dr S Radhakrishnan was present at the premiere of the film at Majestic Cinema, Bombay.<\/p>\n

\"Poster<\/a>

Poster Ram Rajya<\/em> 1943 (Pic courtesy: Osianama)<\/p><\/div>\n

Vijay Bhatt moved from one milestone to another. Prem Adib (Hindi) \/ Chandrakant (Marathi) and Shobhana Samarth led the cast as Rama and Sita in yet another excerpt from Ramayana in\u00a0Ram Rajya<\/em>\u00a0made 1943. Considered the most successful and authentic Ramayana musical ever made in the country,\u00a0Ram Rajya<\/em>\u00a0also enjoys the distinction of being the only film viewed by Mahatma Gandhi in his lifetime.<\/p>\n

\"Vikramaditya<\/a>

Prithviraj Kapoor in Vikramaditya<\/em> 1945 (Pic courtesy: Photographic Still, Osianama)<\/p><\/div>\n

Next came the historical\u00a0Vikramaditya<\/em>\u00a0(1945) where Prithviraj Kapoor played the title role. In 1959, with\u00a0Goonj Uthi Shehnai<\/em>, Vijay Bhatt introduced the celebrated\u00a0shehnai<\/em>\u00a0player Ustad Bismillah Khan to the silver screen. The\u00a0shehnai<\/em>\u00a0in the background score belonged to the Ustad when Rajendra Kumar played the instrument on screen.<\/p>\n

Tere sur aur mere geet<\/strong><\/em> (Goon Uthi Shehnai,<\/em> 1959) Vasant Desai \/ Bharat Vyas \/ Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi. Ustad Bismillah Khan played the shehnai in the songs and the background score.<\/span><\/p>\n