Yahudi

When a piece of brick fell on the roman militia I thought we are going to see something like Benhur. Though Benhur and Yahudi were made around the same time and the two movies told stories of the battle between the Jews and the Romans, Yahudi presented a great love story about a Jewish girl( Meena Kumari) and a roman prince( Dilip Kumar ) When we see such a movie we see horses, swords, soldiers, slaves, spears and poor people being dragged on the streets but Yahudi - what a story is this film about. It is one of the best love stories that I have seen in Indian films. Director Bimal Roy - creator of Parineeta, Devdas, Bandini and Madhumati gave us another gem of a film that showed his mastery of film making. Both Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari played there roles excellent specially Meena Kumari was just wonderful in the role Hannah ( Lydia ) and in the first scene it reminded me of Madhubala playing the role of Anarkali where prince Salim was also played by Dilip Kumar. Though we don,t expect Yahudi to be a very lavish film with all the expensive sets but the producers and director maintained a very well balanced visuals to illustrate the story of its period. The music was very good and the duet dance of Helen and Cuckoo was very well presented. I saw this movie in 2011 after almost fifty two years but I enjoyed every minute of it. I give it a eight out of ten.

In the Roman Empire, a Jewish boy inadvertently triggers the Governor of Rome, leading the Governor to punish the boy by feeding him to lions. Seeking revenge, the boy's servant kidnaps the Governor's daughter and asks the boy's father, Ezra, to kill her, which he refuses. Instead, Ezra runs away with her to another city and adopts the Governor's daughter, Lydia, as his own. When she grows up, she falls in love with Prince Marcus, the son of the Emperor of Rome, forcing them to choose between their races and social status.

I loved the chemistry between Meena Kumari and Dilip Kumar; it effectively cast away the dullness of the film's first half. However, despite being proficient actors, their performances were not very memorable. Sohrab Modi, in his most comfortable epic genre, truly shines, and his dialogue delivery is fantastic. Nigar Sultana looks ethereal; I wonder if this is the film where she looked most gorgeous, and her skills were equally impressive. For a change, she shifts away from her usual villainous roles and portrays a soft-hearted, royal princess. Nazir Hussain and Murad were exceptional.

The story itself is too exaggerated and long, which made me sleepy. There were too many dramatic moments. However, I appreciate Bimal Roy for his vision in making this epic film. The cinematography and editing were delightful and probably the best aspects of the film, along with the finely crafted architectural settings and accurate costume design of the Roman period, which were far ahead of the 1950s. The choreography looked grand, though it deserved a better soundtrack; the music by Shankar Jaikishan is a huge disappointment with its monotonous compositions. Only "Meri Jaan Meri Jaan" by Lata Mangeshkar is truly worth listening to.

Additionally, I love how the film calls out the themes of love, hatred, and racism. Hannah accepting her foster father over her real father is the very definition of humanity triumphing over racism. In conclusion, 'Yahudi' is an epic film with an exaggerated storyline, yet it's worth watching due to its technical aspects.

It is a very interesting film and all the actors have acted very well. The Costumes are very good and it looks as if we have gone into that period. Sohrab Modi's dialog's are very effective and his voice is very good. Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari makes a very romantic pair. The Music by Shanker Jaikishen is very melodious. The locations are very nice. The dances are well done. The romantic scenes between Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari are very well executed. The direction of Bimal Roy is very good. I have seen this film about 5 times earlier and yesterday I watched it again after a gap of 2 years and still did not get bored. The present day directors should learn from these type of films.

I've seen plenty of films depicting the Roman era which include Hebrew characters, but this is the first Indian production, and directed by one of my favorite directors, Bimal Roy, who has never disappointed me. This film has the usual elements I prize in his films: beautifully composed images and wonderful music that isn't too Westernized. It doesn't look like it had an extravagant budget, but neither does it look cheap; the sets and costumes, while different that what I'm used to seeing in a sword & sandal movie (particularly the costumes), are perfectly adequate. Some of the wigs and beards look kind of fake, though. Other than dance sequences and the occasional comic relief (the latter not much in evidence here), Roy's films don't strike me as relying on flashy acting, and here (as in his 1955 version of Devdas), Dilip Kumar's somewhat restrained affect could pass for subtlety. I guess the acting style is more naturalistic. Dilip's wig, though seems unnatural, kind of shiny or metallic looking. Perhaps the intention was to suggest bronze or lighter colored hair. The only plot point that seemed really questionable was the late reveal of Meena Kumari's character's parentage -- I think the character would have been old enough to know where she came from.

Excellent movie....first Indian period movie that I have seen that depicts a foreign country's history, and that to so well!