Jhoola

An dying zamindar bequeaths his property equally among his two sons: the elder, irresponsible and hedonistic Mahesh (Shah Nawaz) and the dutiful adopted son Ramesh (Ashok Kumar).

Disgusted with his adopted brother, Ramesh leaves the house in a huff. He goes to live in a village called Jharnaghat where he falls in love with a young lady called Geeta (Leela Chitnis). Unknown to him, Mahesh too has a crush on the young lady. Ramesh is also unaware of the fact that his adoptive father was the zamindar of that village and that Mahesh had a love affair with Kamala, a close friend of Geeta who lives in Jharnaghat.

Predictably, there are misunderstandings and confusion until the inevitable 'happy family' ending.

In an age when socially conscious or mythological films dominated, a rom-com must have come as a breath of fresh air. If you're willing to overlook the stilted dialogue delivery and the unusual music (largely due to the primitive recording technology and the compulsion to use non- singers), Jhoola is a pretty entertaining movie with its fair share of lively moments.

Having hitherto been in the shadow of his leading ladies, Ashok Kumar became a star in his own right after the success of Jhoola. Still a boyish looking youngster, dadamoni looks far more comfortable and natural than he did in his earlier movies like Achut Kanya or Janmabhoomi. Leela Chitnis is excellent, given the limited scope the script offered her. Mumtaz Ali (father of 60s comedian Mehmood) is convincing. his 'main Dilli se dulhan' song was a cult song in its era.

To conclude: Jhoola is an excellent family entertainer when you consider the fact that the movie was made in the early 40s and as such, reflects the technology, the values, aspirations and insecurities of a very different age.

Jhoola (1941) : Brief Review -

Bollywood's treasurable romance from the early days, and yet so advanced! Gyan Mukherjee's Jhoola has indeed surprised me. This is a romantic movie from the early 40s and still has so many conflicts within one story that we don't see even in today's movies. Quickly about the plot, because that's what that film is all about. Ramesh is declared as a new Zamindar but abandons the house and wealth, which his brother Mahesh is trying to overtake. Ramesh takes the job of a postman temporarily and falls in love with Geeta, whose picture he had seen in a magazine. He writes poems for her by the name of Ramesh but introduces himself as Satish. Geeta's sister was mingled with Ramesh's brother, who is now trying to get mingled with Geeta. These two couples come across a crossover that creates misunderstandings between them, and Geeta and Ramesh break things up. Geeta realizes her mistake, but Ramesh is gone by that time, and here, Geeta is nabbed by Ramesh's brother. Will Geeta and Ramesh get back together? As you can sense, it's a very conflictive drama, and there is a lot of romance and a lot of poetry. I couldn't relate to the music much since it is too dated for 2024, but I am sure the contemporary impact must have been much better. But yes, I just loved those lyrics. I didn't know that the iconic "Ek Chatur Naar" from Padosan was formed here. That Meri Naav also sounded good to ears. Ashok Kumar was too young and new then, and this role set him for a long journey as a superstar in the industry. Leela Chitnis is the best performer here, followed by Shah Nawaz and Karuna Devi. The screenplay and dialogues keep the film going from the first minute till the last. Mukherjee's direction is superb, and it's one of the biggest reasons why I could relate to this romantic affair even after 8 decades. This was close to those old Hollywood's popular romantic dramas, if I can say.

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.