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V.Shantaram |
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 V. Shantaram was a filmmaker of high caliber. He started off as a debutant director in 1927 and when he retired in 1986, he had already six decades of experience under his belt. The contribution of V. Shantaram to the Indian Film Industry can be best measured by the fact that he was the first filmmaker to realize the immense potential of this medium to effect social change. A mere glance at his films would clearly reveal the use of films to expose dogmatism and social injustice. However, his films do not merely expose these social evils; they also advocate the humanism. His Initial Days
This noted filmmaker was born in the then princely state of Kolhapur on 18th November, 1918. It’s really surprising that despite having no formal education, this man would later on bring about a revolutionary change in the Indian Film scenario. Shantaram started off his life as a railway worker but later on found work as a curtain puller for the Gandharva Natak Mandali. His first brush with the film making process started after he had joined Baburao Painter’s ‘Maharashtra Film Company’. Having been well conversant with the intricacies of film making he, along with V.G. Damle, K.R. Dhaiber, S. Fatelal and S.B. Kulkarni, formed the Prabhat Film Company. |
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| Journey of the Director |
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| V. Shantaram stepped into the arena of film direction with ‘Netaji Palkar’, which was released in 1927. His first significant film was however ‘Ayodhyacha Raja’. This 1932 film was made by his ‘Prabhat Film Company’. In the initial days of film making-V.Shantaram followed the prevalent practice of making films on mythological and historical topics. However his visit to Germany proved really fruitful as the choice of subjects for his films, produced under the banner of his company, diversified. With ‘Amrit Manthan’, he stepped into the so far un-chartered territory of social and religious injustice. Set against the backdrop of the Buddhist era, ‘Amrit Manthan’-for the first time-spoke out against the custom of human sacrifice in the name of religion. The traits of German Expressionism in this film are quite noticeable. Then came ‘Amar jyoti’ in 1936, which had a very obvious feminist flavor. |
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| Most Acclaimed Films |
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| Shantaram’s brilliance as a filmmaker however exuded with three of his finest films hitting the silver screen. ‘Kunku/ Duniya Na Mane’, ‘Aadmi/Manoos’ and ‘Padosi’ are all brilliant in their treatments and choice of themes. All these three films dealt with burning social issues. |
- Duniya Na Mane (1937) dealt with the refusal of a young woman to accept her marriage with a man, much older to her. Lack of any exaggeration in the narrative and the stark treatment of the theme brought out the suffering of the protagonist.
- Manoos/Aadmi (1939) is regarded as Shantaram’s finest achievement. The narrative boldly dealt with the love relation between a prostitute and a policeman. However, it failed to keep up the boldness as in the end the status quo remained unchanged.
- Shejari/Padosi (1941) on the other hand pleaded for the maintenance of communal harmony.
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