Mojili Mumbai (1925)

dis Manilaljoshi pc Kohinoor Film cD.D. Dabke lp Yakbal, Raja Sandow, Jamna, Ganibabu, Moti, Noor Mohammed, Baby Saraswati Joshi's best-known film and, withBismi Sadi (1924), the most successful attempt to locate the narrative in the present day. Presented as a comment on the lifestyle of Bombay's rich, the film tells of the wealthy Mr Nanavati (Sandow) who is attracted to a dancer, Roshanara (Yakbal) who in turn is represented by a Dalal (agent or, more precisely, pimp) named Chhotalal (Noor Mohammed). Chhotalal plans to rob Nanavati and seizes his chance when the rich man buys a gold necklace as a present for his daughter's birthday. Chhotalal tempts Nanavati to visit Roshanara, who then seduces him and obtains the necklace. When Nanavati realises that he has been duped, he accuses Chhotalal, who has by then switched the necklace for a fake. The film led to a debate in the pages of the journal Be-Ghadt Mouj about questions of morality and realism in film between Shaida, the editor and himself a scenarist, and Joshi. Joshi claimed that he merely wished to point to an all-too-common incident in Bombay instead of attempting to make a tragedy. The only other interesting thing about the characters is the continual reappearance in film themes (e.g. Baap Kamal, 1925), of a dancer of ill repute named Roshanara, based, apparently, on a real cabaret' dancer of that name.