Gunsundari (1948)

Second remake of Ranjit studio’s infallible Gunsundari melodramas, following Chandulal Shah’s previous versions in 1927 and 1934, proving as successful as its predecessors. Although the familiar central story retains the same dramatic pivot, of a married woman discovering a world beyond the home and holding the family together from external threat, this Gujarati version features several variations in its ‘punchlines’. Gopaldas Seth’s joint family here consists of three grown up children: the elder son Chandrakant (Desai), married to the virtuous Guniyal (Roy), a seven year-old younger son Vinu (Pransukh) who believes Guniyal to be his mother, and a daughter Kusum, who lives a miserable life as the wife of an eccentric poet, Chaman. Chandrakant is introduced to the courtesan Neelmani (Saraswati) by his friend Sudhakar(Baburaje), who brings about his ruin and turns him into an alcoholic. The patriarch bequeaths his personal wealth to his virtuous daughter-in- law Guniyal, who tries to provide for Neelmani’s insatiable demand for money. The husband, caught in between a demanding lover and a sacrificing wife, is eventually reformed when he encounters his father’s funeral procession. Rejected by Neelmani, he returns to his wife. Along with Ranakdevi (1946), this film effectively founded a Gujarati cinema industry, establishing Vyas as the best known lyricist/composer in that language e.g. with the success of songs like Bhabhi tame thoda thoda thao varnagi, and was also a major personal success for its female lead Roy.