Rai Daich

1958 112’ b&w Sindhi d J.B. Lulla pc Atu Lalwani, D.D. Kripalani s Ram Panjwani lyr Parsram Zia c Chandu m Bulo C. Rani lp Shanti Ramchandani, Veena Makhijani, Atu Lalwani, Pratap Maniar, Chandu Shivdasani, Kanmohan, Sajju Kripalani, Minoo Kripalani, Tuntun, Bhudo Advani

Sindhi folk-tale adapting the Moses and Krishna legends to Rai Daich (Lalwani), the king of Junagadh, who, it is predicted, will be killed by his sister’s son. The sister hands her newborn son to her maid who floats him in a box down the river where he is rescued and raised by a shepherd. He grows up to become Bijal (Maniar) whose girlfriend Kamodini (Ramchandani), at the rival King Anerai of Gujarat’s request, agrees on Bijal’s behalf to behead Rai Daich. Bijal sings before Rai Daich, wins a boon, and asks for his head, triggering a war. Bijal’s song suddenly has Anerai’s castle bursting into flames. The war is constructed on the editing table with stock shots. This unusual Sindhi film is known mainly for Rani’s music.

Film