Telephone Ni Taruni

aka

Telephone Girl 1926 st 8427 ft B&W d Himi Master pc Kohinoor films

st Mohanlal G. Dave c Narayan G. Devare lp Sulochana, Gohar, Khalil, Raja Sandow, Jamna

Sulochana's most famous silent film sees her as a telephone operator, a job she used to do in real life, who becomes the love object of a leading lawyer (Sandow). The problems of inter-community marriage are highlighted, as is the value of patriotism through the character of Peter, the heroine's brother (Khalil). The film also refers to a collectivisation movement among farmers (inspired by events in the USSR). Writer Dave was commended for his ability to entwine disparate narrative strands while introducing contemporary references. For his debut as cameraman, Devare pioneered the use of reallocations, shooting in the Grant Road telephone exchange in Bombay.

Film