BASANT (1942): Madhubala’s Debut Movie was a Simple Story of a Simple India

Stills from BASANT (1942)

“Talkies” or the movies with sound and dialogues began to be made in India in the early thirties. The movies of this period had an experimental character, as it was a field that was highly unexplored till then, and all those engaged in it, were learning and refining their skills. It also meant a lot of enthusiasm for creativity, and gave rise to many great Bollywood personalities. 

Comparatively, the period of early forties saw movies in a more settled mode. It is difficult to say whether it was because certain skills had been acquired by then that curtailed the enthusiasm for further experimentation or whether a certain degree of fatigue had sent in the more established film makers, leading to a bit of stagnation. It does not mean that the quality of movies made in forties was going down. It simply means that compared to the aggressive experiments of the thirties as evident from AMAR JYOTI (1936), DEVDAS (1936),  ACHHUT KANYA (1936), DUNIYA NA MAANE (1937), STREET SINGER (1938), DHARTI MATA (1938), PUKAR (1939) and AADMI (1939) the movies of the forties were well within the parameters that had become the norm by that time. Of course, there were exceptions like NEECHA NAGAR (1946), but it was only after 1947 that Hindi movies moved to the next phase of their evolution. 

BASANT (1942) is a typical movie of the forties, which is remembered today largely as a debut movie of Madhubala. It presents many interesting facets of India of that time, including how the life of an Indian was deeply embedded in the family and  was considered far more important than vocation or money. It also enables us to look at the changing values of Indian society during the last hundred years.

Mumtaz Shanti & Ulhas in BASANT (1942)

The Plot 

The story of BASANT revolves around Uma (Mumtaz Shanti). She is a poor and homeless young woman, who lives with her younger brother, Babul (Suresh) and works as a domestic help to earn their subsistence. One day, Babul comes across a theatre seeking performers and approaches it for work, but is rejected. On advice from Dilip (Mumtaz Ali), one of the theatre actors, he and Uma decide to meet its proprietor, Janaki Prasad (P. F. Pithawala). There they meet his younger brother, Nirmal (Ulhas) who supports them and on Janaki Parasad’s initial refusal to listen to them, makes them stand and sing outside his residence. Janaki Babu is impressed by their singing, and employs them. 

In the theatre, Uma becomes the leading actress, and is strongly envied by the other actress, Meena (Pramila) and her father (Jagannath) who feel threatened by her success. Nirmal is highly averse to Meena’s advances towards him, but develops a strong liking for Uma. They confess their love for each other, and plan to get married. Nirmal does not want Uma to work in theatre, and they decide that once Nirmal gets a job, Uma will stop working. However, Nirmal is unable to find a job, and Meena and her father, out of envy for Uma, suggest to Nirmal that Janaki Babu is himself interested in marrying her. Nirmal can’t wait anymore and opts for an immediate marriage and Uma leaves theatre. Soon they have a daughter, but Nirmal still cannot find work. He is also unwilling to accept any help from his elder brother or let Uma work. As a result, they face severe financial constraints. When their Landlord threatens to evict them from the rented house, Uma is forced to sell her last valuable possession, and after paying rent, hands the rest of the money to Nirmal, who has come across a job opening in Lahore and needs to go there urgently. 

Nirmal does not return for a long time, and Uma is left penniless with no money to take care of her daughter. Dilip brings money from Janaki Das and also an invitation to work in theatre. Though Uma refuses it initially, she is finally convinced by Babul and Dilip to do so for the sake of her daughter, and goes to theatre. In the meanwhile, Nirmal returns and is angered to know that Uma has joined theatre. When he goes there, he is again misled by Meena and her father, who suggest a relationship between Uma and Janaki Das. Angered by this, he takes his daughter and leaves for Kolkata where he has got a job. On her return, Uma is stunned by the absence of her daughter, and the fact that Nirmal has taken her away without even talking to her. 

Janaki Das and Dilip try to look for Nirmal, but are unable to trace him. Eight years pass. Uma continues to work for theatre and relentlessly, they keep searching for Nirmal and her daughter, by taking the theatre group to different cities, and in the process, reach Kolkata. Meanwhile her daughter, Manju (Madhubala with the name of Baby Mumtaz) has grown up. Nirmal is now well placed, and takes good care of Manju, who also sings for radio. She sings the same song that Uma had sung in front of the house of Janaki Das when she first met Nirmal. Uma hears it on radio and they are able to trace Nirmal. When she goes there, Nirmal convinces her that due to her association with theatre, her return to their lives can be detrimental for the future of Manju, and lets her meet their daughter only once and that too if she would not reveal her true identity to her. Uma, who is heartbroken, agrees and after meeting Manju, leaves with her doll. Dilip, who had come to accompany Uma, tries to convince Nirmal, but Uma, who is somewhat disoriented by all this has an accident on the road and returns. She thinks of committing suicide, before the climax scene sets in. 

A Simple Movie in a Different India that Used to Exist Once 

BASANT is well made movie by the standards of forties, although it was not one of the top box office hits of 1942, when it was released. This is understandable given the simplicity of its plot and the absence of any major attractions that could make it a top hit. Its cast did not consist of big stars of the time. It was Mumtaz Shanti’s first movie and actually helped in her rise to stardom later, with KISMET (1943). Ulhas never rose to the status of top Bollywood stars, in spite of a long career and recognition as a strong actor. Mumtaz Ali, father of Mehmood, has a limited role in this movie, but leaves a good impression. It is hardly surprising that the movie is remembered today as the debut movie of Madhubala, who as Baby Mumtaz, was the third Mumtaz of the movie after Mumtaz Shanti and Mumtaz Ali. It may not be possible to find another movie wherein three out of six important characters were played by actors that were named Mumtaz! 

A striking characteristic of this movie is its simplicity. The whole of the movie is shot indoors, indicating its low budget character, but the well directed scenes do not let you realize this fact easily. Its most interesting aspect is the society of those times and how it compares with today. In 1940s, association with theatre and dancing on stage was not looked upon with favor by the conservative society and the attitude of Nirmal that resents his wife dancing in front of the audience to entertain them seems natural for those times. Of course, such an attitude would be open to ridicule today as highly unreasonable. In only seventy five years, we have seen our society change its values to such an extent that if same is extrapolated over a few centuries, it becomes clear how unstable our social values can be. 

The social conservatism of the forties as seen in this movie also reminds us of the importance that was placed on the family. Uma readily gives up theatre to get a family, in spite of Nirmal’s unemployment. This reminds us of several leading ladies of Bollywood, who gave up a successful career in Bollywood for the sake of family in the twentieth century. Some of them did that at the prime of their careers. It is difficult to say how possible that eventuality would be today, in a different society, where marriage itself is not considered stable and permanent anymore.

Baby Mumtaz who was later known as Madhubala, with Mumtaz Shanti in BASANT (1942), her debut movie

The ease with which Uma agrees to give up her daughter is unlikely to be a part of a movie today, where couples are more than likely to end up in courts over child custody disputes. But, such happenings were not uncommon in the movies as well as popular literature of the time. The story of ARADHANA (1969), a milestone movie that launched Rajesh Khanna to stardom also revolves around a mother who gives up her rights and identity for the sake of her child’s future. Of course, these are all fictional stories and characters, but they do tell us something about the social values and aspirations, even if the realities may not always match with them. Parents still care for their children today, but the extent to which they would sacrifice their own existence for them may not be the same anymore. 

Epilogue 

Madhubala was certainly one of the most beautiful ladies of Hindi Cinema, and her screen presence as a child in this movie is as charming as one would expect from an actor that remains alive in our memory more than half a century after her death. 

This review of her debut movie from the ‘Prism of Bollywood’ is a tribute to her lasting legacy.

MADHUBALA : Her beautiful legacy is still alive!