The New Theatres classic Vidyapati , directed by Devaki Bose and exploring the life and times of the fourteenth-century court poet Vidyapat...
The New Theatres classic Vidyapati, directed by Devaki Bose and exploring the life and times of the fourteenth-century court poet Vidyapati, is remembered even today for its sonorous songs and melodious music. Surprisingly, the song lyrics draw no inspiration from the renowned poet’s words. Nor is the film in Maithili, the language in which he communicated. Rather, the 1937 film is in Hindi and Bengali.
Maithili cinema had to wait until the 1960s to begin its journey in Indian cinema. Kanyadan from 1965 is credited as the first movie in Maithili. Phani Mazumdar’s film is based on Harimohan Jha’s novel of the same name. The theme of a mismatched married couple is depicted through a difference in language – the characters speak Maithili and Hindi, respectively. Noted Hindi writer Phanishwar Nath “Renu” wrote the dialogue for Kanyadan.
Naihar Bhel Mor Sasur, directed by C Parmanand, might have been released earlier than Kanyadan had it not faced production obstacles. Ultimately released in the mid-1980s under the title Mamta Gabay Geet, the movie is still remembered for its dialogue and songs, by such leading playback singers as Geeta Dutt, Mahendra Kapoor and Suman Kalyanpur.
The list of Maithili-language movies is sparse. It includes Jai Baba Vaidyanath (Madhusravani), Sasta Jingi Mahg Senur, Kakhan Harb Dukh Mor and Ghogh Me Chand. These productions revolved...
