''Shakuntala'' is a 1943

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

film based on

Kālidāsa Kālidāsa (, "Servant of Kali (god), Kali"; 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy. ...

's Sanskrit drama ''

Abhijñānaśākuntalam ''Abhijnanashakuntalam'' (Devanagari: अभिज्ञानशाकुन्तलम्, IAST: ''Abhijñānaśākuntalam''), also known as ''Shakuntala'', ''The Recognition of Shakuntala'', ''The Sign of Shakuntala'', and many other variant ...

'', directed by V. Shantaram. It was the first film made under the newly formed

Rajkamal Kalamandir Rajkamal Kalamandir was a noted film production company and studio in Mumbai. It was established by V. Shantaram in 1942, after he left Prabhat Films. The studio produced films both in Hindi and Marathi, and it was best known for (1946), ''Amar Bh ...

banner that Shantaram had started. It was the first film to be shown commercially in US. Adapted from the Shakuntala of Kalidas the screenplay was by Diwan Sharar. Music was composed by

Vasant Desai Vasant Desai (1912–1975) was an Indian film music composer, most remembered for his score in V. Shantaram films like '' Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje'' (1955), ''Do Aankhen Barah Haath'' (1957), Vijay Bhatt's '' Goonj Uthi Shehnai'' (1959), ''Samp ...

with lyrics by Diwan Sharar and Ratan Piya. The cinematatography was by V. Avadhoot and the film starred Kumar Ganesh, Jayashree, Chandra Mohan, Ameena, Shantaram, Zohra and

Nana Palsikar Nana Palshikar () (1907 – 1 June 1984) was an Indian actor who appeared in over 80 Hindi films. He made his film debut in 1935 with ''Dhuwandhar'', and went on to play character roles in both Hindi mainstream and arthouse films. He was also c ...

. The film initially sticks to the traditional version of

's play but later follows a "transformation" in the form of "empowerment of women" in Shakuntala's role, which is attributed to a critique of the play by Bankim Chatterjee.

Plot

Shakuntala Shakuntala () is a heroine in ancient Indian literature, best known for her portrayal in the ancient Sanskrit play '' Abhijnanashakuntalam'' (The Recognition of Shakuntala), written by the classical poet Kalidasa in the 4th or 5th century AD ...

(Jayshree) is the daughter of sage

Vishwamitra Vishvamitra (, ) is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. Vishvamitra is one of the seven Brahmarshi. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Ga ...

and

Menaka Menaka ( ) is a prominent figure in Hindu mythology, celebrated as one of the most beautiful apsaras (celestial nymphs) in the court of Indra, the king of the gods. She is frequently sent by the gods to disturb the penance of sages whose growin ...

, but is brought up by the sage

Kanva Kanva or Kanwa (, ), also called Karnesh, was an ancient Hindu rishi of the ''Treta Yuga'', to whom some of the hymns of the ''Rig Veda'' are ascribed. He was one of the Angirasas. He has been called a son of Ghora, but this lineage belongs to ...

, and stays with him in a forest dwelling. She meets King

Dushyanta Dushyanta (, ) is a king of the Chandravamsha (Lunar) dynasty featured in Hindu literature. He is the husband of Shakuntala and the father of Bharata. He appears in the Mahabharata and in Kalidasa's play, Abhijnanashakuntalam (). Legend Acc ...

( Chandra Mohan), when he comes there for a hunt. The two fall in love and get married, with Dushyanta staying with her. Soon he has to leave and he promises to come back for her. Before leaving he gives her a ring as a token of their marriage. Shakuntala passes her days waiting for Dushyanta. She is so lost in his thoughts that she doesn’t hear a sage asking for water. He then leaves her with a curse that the one she is thinking about will forget her. She gives birth to a son, Bharata and several years pass without the return of Dushyanta who has lost his memory and has no recollection of Shakuntala. The ring he has given her is lost in the river and swallowed by a fish. Dushyanta turns her away when Shakuntala goes to the court. Later when Dushyanta recovers his memory Shakuntala refuses to go with him but both are finally united.

Cast

* Kumar Ganesh as Bharat * Jayashree as Shakuntala * Chandra Mohan as King Dushyanta * Shantaram as Priyamvad * Ameena * Madan Mohan * Zohra as Menaka *

* Vilas * Raja Pandit * Shantarin * Vidya

Review

Shakuntala was the first Indian film to be shown in the US. The New York Times of 1947 stated that "Shakuntala has a charm entirely its own". Calling it a "fairy-tale" the reviewer praised the background, and commented on the "unabashed naïveté of acting of the entire cast", and the "crudely rich musical score" but called it "a sturdy screen promise". The film has been cited as a "major hit" and was shown at a theatre in India for continuous 104 weeks.

Award

The film was nominated for the Grand International Award at the 1947

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

Soundtrack

The film was composed by

, who had earlier provided background music in Shantaram’s films. This was Desai's first independent music venture and continued to have a long association with Shantaram's films. The lyricists were Diwan Sharar and Ratan Piya. The singers were Jayashree, Zohrabai Ambalewali, Parshuram and Amirbai Karnataki.

Song list

References

External links

*
Songs Audio
at Surjit Singh - Shakuntala songs {{Shakuntala 1940s Hindi-language films 1940s Indian films 1943 films Indian black-and-white films Films directed by V. Shantaram Indian drama films Indian epic films 1943 drama films Hindi-language drama films Films based on works by Kalidasa Works based on Shakuntala (play)