Kalpana (1948 film)
Encyclopedia
Kalpana is a 1948
dance-drama Hindi film written and directed by noted dancer, Uday Shankar
, his only film, and story revolves around young dancer’s dream of setting up an academy, a reflection his own, which he eventually did at Almora
. . It starred Uday Shankar and his wife Amala Shankar as lead, and a 17-year old actress Padmini
making her screen debut .
Kalpana was the first film to present lead actor as a dancer, that too Indian classical dance, and was entirely shot as a dance ballet and a fantasy .
The film was show at the International Film Festival of India
(IFFI-Goa) (2008), as a part of the section ‘Treasures from NFAI’, that is National Film Archive of India
, along with other "rare gems" from the archives .
over a period of five years, and also inspired 1948 Tamil film, Chandralekha
by S. S. Vasan
, which was also shot at the same studio and also featured the song with dancers over large drum sequence, and was a major success unlike Kalpana which didn't do well at Box Office
of which director, Martin Scorsese
is a founding member .
1948 in film
The year 1948 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Laurence Olivier's Hamlet becomes the first British film to win the American Academy Award for Best Picture.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :...
dance-drama Hindi film written and directed by noted dancer, Uday Shankar
Uday Shankar
Uday Shankar , the pioneer of modern dance in India, and a world renowned Indian dancer and choreographer, was most known for adapting Western theatrical techniques to traditional Indian classical dance, imbued with elements of Indian classical, folk, and tribal dance, thus laying the roots of...
, his only film, and story revolves around young dancer’s dream of setting up an academy, a reflection his own, which he eventually did at Almora
Almora
Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...
. . It starred Uday Shankar and his wife Amala Shankar as lead, and a 17-year old actress Padmini
Padmini (actress)
Padmini was an Indian actress and trained Bharathanatyam dancer who has acted in over 250 Indian films. She has acted in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi language films...
making her screen debut .
Kalpana was the first film to present lead actor as a dancer, that too Indian classical dance, and was entirely shot as a dance ballet and a fantasy .
The film was show at the International Film Festival of India
International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India , founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually in the beach town of Goa, in the Western Coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of...
(IFFI-Goa) (2008), as a part of the section ‘Treasures from NFAI’, that is National Film Archive of India
National Film Archive of India
The National Film Archive of India was established as a media unit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in February 1964. Its three principal objectives are* To trace, acquire and preserve for posterity the heritage of Indian cinema;...
, along with other "rare gems" from the archives .
Cast
- Lakshmi Kanta - Kamini
- Usha KiranUsha KiranUsha Kiran was a Hindi and Marathi film actress. In a career spanning of over four decades she has acted in over 300 Hindi and Marathi films, notably Daag , Patita , Baadbaan , Chupke Chupke , Mili and Bawarchi...
- Amala Shankar - Uma
- Uday ShankarUday ShankarUday Shankar , the pioneer of modern dance in India, and a world renowned Indian dancer and choreographer, was most known for adapting Western theatrical techniques to traditional Indian classical dance, imbued with elements of Indian classical, folk, and tribal dance, thus laying the roots of...
- Udayan - PadminiPadmini (actress)Padmini was an Indian actress and trained Bharathanatyam dancer who has acted in over 250 Indian films. She has acted in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi language films...
Production
It was shot at Gemini StudiosGemini Studios
Gemini Studios was launched when Thiruthuraipoondi Subramanian Srinivasan bought a film distribution concern at an auction and renamed it as Gemini Pictures also known as Gemini Studios. Gemini Studios served as a breeding ground for innumerable artists and technicians for the south Indian Film...
over a period of five years, and also inspired 1948 Tamil film, Chandralekha
Chandralekha (1948 film)
Chandralekha is a 1948 Tamil epic film directed and produced by S. S. Vasan. It features an ensemble cast consisting of M.K.Radha, Ranjan, T. R. Rajakumari, N. S. Krishnan and T. A. Madhuram...
by S. S. Vasan
S. S. Vasan
Subramaniam Srinivasan , popularly known by his screen name S. S. Vasan, was anIndian journalist, writer, advertiser, film producer, director and business tycoon...
, which was also shot at the same studio and also featured the song with dancers over large drum sequence, and was a major success unlike Kalpana which didn't do well at Box Office
Restoration
In 2009, the film process of its digital restoration was taken up by NFAI in collaboration with France-based Thomson Foundation . Then in 2010, it is being restored by the World Cinema FoundationWorld Cinema Foundation
The World Cinema Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation and restoration of neglected world cinema.It was founded in 2007, inspired by the work of The Film Foundation in the United States, a similar venture which Martin Scorsese founded with George Lucas, Stanley...
of which director, Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
is a founding member .