Daera
| Daera Film 1953 | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Kamal Amrohi |
| Produced by | Kamal Amrohi |
| Written by | Kamal Amrohi |
| Starring |
Meena Kumari Nasir Khan Nana Palsikar |
| Music by | Jamal Sen |
| Cinematography | Lachhu Maharaj |
| Edited by | Wishwanath Kamat |
Production company |
The Bombay Talkies Studio, Malad |
Release dates | 1953 |
Running time | 140-minute |
| Language | Hindi |
“Daera” meaning (‘Circle’, literally) is a 1953 film written and directed by Kamal Amrohi, starting Meena Kumari, Nasir Khan and Nana Palsikar in lead roles.[1] It released at Bombay’s Naaz cinema with much fanfare and, hailed by the discerning and disarming, knowledgeable critics of the time.[2] It was ostensibly, or loosely based on Kamal Amrohi and Meena Kumari own love story described by many as elegiac.[2]
Daera is a slight film that goes into profound areas of human relationship. Meena Kumari expressing the smothered sexuality of a lonely woman is the epitome of tragic dignity.[2] Long before it became fashionable in cinema to borrow literary devices, Daera brought in a Shakespearean pathos to the story of a man’s inexpressible passion in a forbidden relationship.[2] At a time when there were no zoom lenses or trolleys, Kamal Amrohi achieved spectacular effects without them. It was lauded in The Times of India, a major daily, as a ‘poem on celluloid’.[2]
A judge of Allahabad High Court wrote a letter to the daily, saying ‘I’m not upset that Daayera has flopped but that the man who made it will never make such a film again.’ Kamal Amrohi preserved that letter till the very end.[2]
Plot
The narrative deals with the dreams and aspiration of a 16-old-girl, Sheetal (Meena Kumari) caught in the vortex of uncertainty and morality. Desperate for engagement with her neighbour, Shravan (Nasir Khan, late brother of Dilip Kumar) who is equally drawn towards her but she is forced into meaningless wedlock with a sick old man (Nana Palsikar) a man old enough to be her father.
Cast
- Meena Kumari ... Sheetal
- Nasir Khan ... Sharan Kumar
- Nana Palsikar ...
- Pratima Devi ...
- Kammo ...
- Janki Das
- N.A. Ansari
- Roopmala
Soundtrack
| Track # | Song | Singer(s) | Lyrics | Composer |
| 1 | Devta Tum Ho Mera Sahara | Mohammed Rafi, Mubarak Begum | Kaif Bhopali | Jamal Sen |
| 2 | Deep Ke Sung Jalon Mein | Mubarak Begum | Majrooh Sultanpuri | Jamal Sen |
| 3 | Aansoo To Nahin Hai Ankhon Mein | Talat Aziz | Majrooh Sultanpuri | Jamal Sen |
| 4 | Jali Jo Shama Zamane | Mubarak Begum | Majrooh Sultanpuri | Jamal Sen |
| 5 | Suno More Naina | Mubarak Begum | Majrooh Sultanpuri | Jamal Sen |
| 6 | Ae Chaand Sitaro Khamosh Nazaaro | Talat Mahmood | Kaif Bhopali | Jamal Sen |
| 7 | Aa Bhi Ja Meri Duniya Me | Talat Mahmood | Majrooh Sultanpuri | Jamal Sen |
| 8 | Kaho Dola Utare Kahaar | Asha Bhosle | Majrooh Sultanpuri | Jamal Sen |
- ↑ Kohli, Suresh (2012-09-06). "Daera (1953)". The Hindu. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kohli 2012.