Dilip Kumar Movies
- 1957
One of the better contributions to the popular Indian genre of the ghost story, Madhumati tells the story of two young lovers denied by death but not by fate. Devendra, a middle-aged man, takes shelter during a storm in an old house where he sees the ghost of a woman. This prompts him to relate the story of Anand and Madhumati to his traveling companions and sets up the narrative's framing device. Anand is a painter who falls in love with Madhumati, but bad blood separates the family Anand works for and Madhumati's family. Sent away by his deceitful boss, Anand returns to discover that Madhumati has disappeared. Anand and her father search for her only to discover she has been kidnapped by Anand's boss. In the confrontation that follows, Anand is beat within an inch of his life. After recovering, he again wanders the countryside where he first met Madhumati. Here he meets another young woman, who resembles Madhumati in every way. Confused and withdrawn, he begins to believe that the two are one and the same and hatches a plan to catch his boss in a trap. What follows blurs the lines between reality and the supernatural as Madhumati comes back from the grave to accuse her killer and rescue her beloved. ~ Brian Whitener, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dilip Kumar, Vijayanthimala, (more)
- 1955
Devdas was India's entry in the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. The story concentrates on a wealthy young boy who falls in love with a low-born girl. As the plot develops, it becomes clear that the girl has more strength of character than the boy. It is this, rather than the cultural gap between them, that dooms the romance of the two principals. At 95 minutes, Devdas is unusually short for an Indian film, which proved to be an advantage when it was distributed to the U.S. Though the story is both familiar and downbeat, Devdas is elevated by the effortless professionalism of the two leading players. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dilip Kumar, Vijayanthimala, (more)
- 1952
The first Technicolor film from India, this sweeping adventure was directed by Mehboob Khan. Dilip Kumar stars as Jai, a peasant whose swashbuckling heroics include deposing a tyrannical prince and his vicious sister Aan (Nadira). Aided by his girlfriend Mangala (Nimmi), Jai overcomes his low-caste status to become a legend. Naushad Dilip's stirring musical score and the gorgeous costumes made this film an international hit. Originally 190 minutes, most export versions were cut to 130. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1951
Bengalese director Nitin Bose directs this arch romantic melodrama about the unfortunate fate of a lad who fell for the wrong girl. The film opens with the poor Shamu (Dilip Kumar) and the beautiful Mala (Nargis) prancing in the sun dabbled meadows of young love. Then Mala's wealthy father gets wind of the affair, and following an ugly horse-riding accident has Shamu and his mother evicted from their hovel. While the accident left Shamu blind, the trauma of losing their house ends up killing his mom. Later, a talented eye-surgeon is moved to tears by the songs of Shamu, who is now a street performer. When the doctor restores Shamu's vision, the lad quickly learns that the surgeon is married to none other than his true beloved Mala. Shamu promptly gauges his own eyes out rather than endure the sight of his love with another. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dilip Kumar, Nargis, (more)
- 1948
Ram Daryani directs this romantic melodrama about the divide between country life and city living. The film opens with Radhika and her husband, Chaman, deciding to move out of her father's house and move to the country and start a small insurance company. Along the way, they meet the beautiful country lass Roopa (Mumtaz Shanti) who lives with her siblings in a tumbledown house. Radhika's brother, Chanda (Dilip Kumar), immediately falls for her and they marry. Unfortunately, the transition to the city proves difficult, especially as Roopa's in-laws taunt her for her former poverty. This eventually drives Chanda to the bottle and to the craps table. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- 1947
Though a commercial failure, this romantic melodrama -- directed by Kidar Sharma -- is significant because it features the debuts of two of Bollywood's most important figures, Raj Kapoor and Madhubala. Set in the royal court of Janakgarh, the film opens with the palace coup lead by the villainous Mangal Singh, resulting in the deaths of the king and queen. Princess Kamala (Madhubala) and her sister are spirited out the court and given over to a family of untouchables. Later, she and her sister fall in love with a rakish artist (Kapoor), resulting in Kamala having to commit suicide. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
