Shejari (1941)

Melodrama addressing communal harmony. Mirza (Jagirdar) and Patil (Date/Khan) are close friends and the senior guardians of their village. The industrialist Omkar wants to build a bigger dam but is opposed by the duo. He has Patil sacked and his son excommunicated for allegedly burning a house. This causes a rift between the two old friends, who eventually make up as the giant dam bursts and they die in each other's arms. Shantaram continued his relentlessly emotional and symbolic use of nature, as the stormy scene that accompanies Omkar's decision to split friendship between Mirza and Patil. This use of nature culminates logically in the film's highlight: the dam bursting with a series of impressive nature-on-the-rampage shots. The Marathi version has some classic hits, including Radhika chatur bole and the nicely picturised community number Lakhlakh chanderi tejachi nyari duniya shot in torchlight with remarkably controlled deep-focus shots.