Kismet

1943 Drama 143 minutes Directed by Gyan Mukherjee

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About Kismet

Pickpocket Shekhar leaves prison, takes a watch from another thief, Banke, and meets the watch's owner, who wants to sell it so he can see his daughter Rani on stage. At the theatre the old man points out Indrajit, a rich man who holds his debts. Shekhar moves into Rani's house. Her leg is injured. Her sister Leela is pregnant by Mohan, Indrajit's younger son. Shekhar agrees to rob Indrajit's safe, fails, and leaves a chain. Indrajit knows the chain. At a public performance Shekhar is revealed as Indrajit's lost son Madan. Indrajit clears the debts and proposes marriages that join the two families. Ashok Kumar plays Shekhar. Mumtaz Shanti plays Rani.

Cast & crew

More about Kismet

Gyan Mukherjee directed and co-wrote it with Agha Jani Kashmiri. Anil Biswas composed the music. Kavi Pradeep wrote the lyrics. Bombay Talkies released it during the Second World War, in the fight between Devika Rani and Sashadhar Mukherjee after Himanshu Rai's death. It runs 143 minutes. The English Wikipedia calls it the first major hit of Bombay cinema. It was remade in Tamil as Prema Pasam (1956) and in Telugu as Bhale Ramudu (1956). Copies are on the Internet Archive and on Wikimedia Commons.

Themes

  • A third prison term
  • Rani's injured leg
  • The chain that names Madan
  • Shekhar
  • Rani
  • Indrajit
  • Madan
  • Bombay Talkies
  • Ashok Kumar

Background

Bombay Talkies released it in wartime, while Devika Rani and Sashadhar Mukherjee were fighting over the studio after Himanshu Rai died.

Music

Anil Biswas wrote the score. Kavi Pradeep wrote the lyrics, including Door Hato O Duniya Walon.

Preservation

Copies are on the Internet Archive and Wikimedia Commons.

Notes

  • Shah Nawaz plays the inspector. V. H. Desai plays Banke. David plays a fence. Mubarak plays Indrajit. Chandraprabha plays Leela.
  • The picture puts an anti-hero and an unmarried pregnant woman on an Indian screen.
  • Door Hato O Duniya Walon is the patriotic chorus, sung by Ameerbai Karnataki and Khan Mastana.
  • The Internet Archive identifier is Kismet1943.

Scenes

  • Shekhar leaves the chain at the failed robbery, and Indrajit recognizes it.
  • At Rani's performance he is named as Madan.

Influenced

  • Prema Pasam (1956)
  • Bhale Ramudu (1956)

Also available

  • Internet Archive (Kismet1943)