''Mulu Manek'' is a 1955

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those c ...

film directed by

Manhar Raskapur Manhar Rangildas Raskapur (8 May 1922 – 14 February 1980) was an Indian film director primarily known for his works in Gujarati cinema. Biography Raskapur was born in 1922 in Surat, Gujarat, India. He studied up to the first year of college b ...

from India. The film depicted Mulu Manek, a

bandit Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, kidnapping, and murder, e ...

, fighting the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

. The lead roles were played by

Shanta Apte Shanta Apte (1916–1964) was an Indian actress-singer who worked in Marathi language, Marathi and Hindi cinema. Renowned for her roles in films like ''Duniya Na Mane/Kunku'' (1937) and ''Amar Jyoti'' (1936) under the Prabhat Films banner, she w ...

and

Arvind Pandya Arvind Pandya (21 March 1923 – 22 July 1980) was an Indian actor. In his career spanning 35 years, he acted in more than one hundred films including 73 Gujarati films. He also worked in Hindi films and Gujarati theatre. Early life Pandya w ...

. The music was composed by Indukumar.

Plot

During the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

, Okha in

Kathiawar Kathiawar (), also known as Saurashtra, is a peninsula in the south-western Gujarat state in India, bordering the Arabian Sea and covering about . It is bounded by the Kutch district in the north, the Gulf of Kutch in the northwest, and by the ...

region is captured by the British and is ruled by the

Gaekwad dynasty Gaekwads (also spelled as Gaikwads, Guicowars, Gaekwars) (IAST: ''Gāyakavāḍa''), a Hindu Maratha (caste), Maratha dynasty of the former Maratha Confederacy, Maratha Empire and its subsequent (erstwhile) princely state of Baroda State, Baroda ...

. Before and during the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...

, local

Wagher Wagher, Vagher or Waghir ( Gujarati: ISO 15919: ''Vāghēr or '') is a jāti from the Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat in India. Some Waghers are Hindu and others are Muslim. They speak Kutchi as a mother tongue. History Rebellion ag ...

chief Mulu Manek becomes a bandit and opposes the Gaekwad and the British. When Mulu's childhood friend Devobha's marriage proposal is rejected by Mulu's sister Devbai, Devobha joins the opposition as a soldier. Devobha has changed his mind following the sacrifice of his mother. Mulu decides to surrender to save his comrades but he is prevented and encouraged by Devobha to fight. Eventually they all die fighting.

Cast

The cast is as follows: *

* Champshibhai Nagda * Shalini * Champak Lala * Ulhas

Production

The film was based

anti-Imperialist Anti-imperialism in political science and international relations is opposition to imperialism or neocolonialism. Anti-imperialist sentiment typically manifests as a political principle in independence struggles against intervention or influenc ...

play ''Allabeli'' by Gujarati author

Gunvantrai Acharya Gunvantrai Popatbhai Acharya (9 September 1900 – 25 November 1965) was a Gujarati language novelist and journalist from India. His experience with seafarers impacted his adventure and novel writings. His works include several historical fict ...

. The play was staged by

Indian People's Theatre Association Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) is the oldest association of theatre-artists in India. IPTA was formed in 1943 during the British rule in India, and promoted themes related to the Indian freedom struggle. Its goal was to bring cultur ...

(IPTA) first and was adapted into the film. It was directed by Mahnar Raskapur and produced under the banner of film company Vikram Chitra. The film starred Hindi-Marathi singer Shanta Apte which remained her only Gujarati film.

Music

The music was composed by Indukumar Parekh while the lyrics were written by Karsandas Manek.

Legacy

The film became the first among the series of similar genre films by Raskapur; all featuring the opposition to the British such as ''

Kadu Makrani (famously known as Kadu Makrani; c. 1841 — 5 June 1887) was a 19th-century Indian revolutionary who operated mainly in Kathiawar region of Gujarat but was born and raised in Makran. He is famously known for opposing and resisting British r ...

'' (1960). The film was remade in 1977 in Gujarati by Manibhai Vyas.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title 1955 films 1950s historical fantasy films 1950s biographical films Films set in Gujarat 1950s Gujarati-language films Indian biographical films Indian historical fantasy films Films set in the British Raj Films set in the Indian independence movement Films based on real people Films about the Indian Rebellion of 1857 Indian black-and-white films 1950s Indian films Films about outlaws