Mahal (1949)

Director: Kamal Amrohi | 165 mins | 35 mm

Introducing the Bombay Gothic genre to Hindi cinema, Bombay Talkies' 'Mahal' (1949) remains a watershed film that created a template for both the Gothic and the reincarnation films in Hindi cinema. Marking the directorial debut of Kamal Amrohi, the film stars Ashok Kumar as the anti-hero Hari Shankar and Madhubala as Asha/Kamini in a love story replete with darkness and obsessions. Madhubala, who was relatively unknown when the film released, added to her mystery as a newcomer and alluring stranger. The film also gave a big break to the ethereal voice of Lata Mangeshkar.

Stylistically, the richly textured and intricate cinematography and imaginative and haunting sound design alleviate the influence of the film. Cinematographer Josef Wirsching's striking chiaroscuro compositions and fluid camera movements detailing the decadence of the feudal mansion enhance the eerie backdrop and reinforce the uncanniness of the space and the film. Film scholar Meheli Sen states, 'Mahal' remains an especially interesting iteration of the Gothic in Hindi cinema because it was made during a period of transition, when the industrial and formal imperatives of Bombay cinema had not yet congealed into their seriously Nehruvian modes.

The 35 mm print of this film will be screened.