Sarker Tanvir Ahmed: data

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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Miss Mary
| image = Miss mary 1957.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Poster
| director = [[L. V. Prasad]]
| producer = [[A. V. Meiyappan]]
| writer = [[Rajendra Krishan]] (dialogues)
| screenplay = [[Aluri Chakrapani]]
| story =
| based_on = 
| narrator =
| starring = [[Meena Kumari]]<br/>[[Kishore Kumar]]<br />[[Gemini Ganesan|Ganesh]]
| music = [[Hemant Kumar]]
| cinematography = T. Muthuswamy
| editing = [[K. Shankar]]
| studio = [[AVM Productions]]
| distributor = AVM Productions
| released = {{Film date|1957|2|15|df=yes}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'''''Miss Mary''''' is a 1957 Indian Hindi-language [[comedy film]]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GTEa93azj9EC|title=Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema|page=127|first=Tejaswini|last=Ganti|date=2004|publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-0-415-28854-5 |access-date=3 September 2024|archive-date=3 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240903091636/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bollywood/GTEa93azj9EC?hl=en&gbpv=1|url-status=live}}</ref> directed by [[L. V. Prasad]]. The film is an [[AVM Productions|AVM Production]] and directed by [[L. V. Prasad]]. The film is a remake of Prasad's 1955 Telugu-Tamil bilingual film ''[[Missamma]]'' / ''[[Missiamma]]'', which itself was a remake of the 1935 [[Bengali language|Bengali]] film ''Maanmoyee Girls' School''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/filmi-cross-pollination-south-indian-influence-on-bollywood-classics/articleshow/91207226.cms|title=Filmi cross-pollination: South Indian influence on 'Bollywood'|date=30 April 2022|work=[[Indo-Asian News Service|IANS]]|via=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=3 September 2024|archive-date=14 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714112156/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/filmi-cross-pollination-south-indian-influence-on-bollywood-classics/articleshow/91207226.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> It stars [[Meena Kumari]] in the titular role, [[Kishore Kumar]] and [[Gemini Ganesan]] (credited as Ganesh). The music was by [[Hemant Kumar]] with the lyrics and dialogue written by [[Rajendra Krishan]]. The songs were sung by [[Kishore Kumar]], [[Lata Mangeshkar]], [[Asha Bhosle]], [[Geeta Dutt]] and [[Mohammed Rafi]].

Meena Kumari, who was to later become famous for her tragedy roles meriting the sobriquet "The Tragedy Queen", acted in a few light-hearted roles in the 1950s in films such as ''[[Azaad (1955 film)|Azaad]]'' (1955), ''[[Mem Sahib]]'' (1956), [[Shararat (1959 film)|''Shararat'']], ''[[Kohinoor (1960 film)|Kohinoor]]'' (1960) and ''Miss Mary''.<ref name="Patel2012">{{cite book |last=Patel |first=Bhaichand |title=Bollywood's Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RQL4dkVAnPIC&pg=PA131 |access-date=21 October 2015 |year=2012 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-670-08572-9 |pages=131–}}</ref> ''Miss Mary'' was one of the biggest hits of that year.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sampath |first=Janani |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/The-South-Bollywood-hero-brigade/2013/06/12/article1630511.ece#.U0JcTRGKBy0%20 |title=The South-Bollywood hero brigade |newspaper=[[The New Indian Express]] |date=12 June 2013 |access-date=3 September 2024 |archive-date=2 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202085600/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/The-South-Bollywood-hero-brigade/2013/06/12/article1630511.ece#.U0JcTRGKBy0 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Plot==
The story is about Arun ([[Gemini Ganeshan|Ganesh]]), an unemployed teacher who comes across an advertisement offering a job at the Laxmi School with the proviso that only married couples should apply. He meets Miss Mary ([[Meena Kumari]]), a Christian girl who is badly in need of a job to pay off her parents' debt. Arun suggests that she pose as his wife after he witnesses her getting harassed by John ([[Randhir (actor)|Randhir]]), her potential suitor to which her father owes money. They hire Nakdau ([[Om Prakash]]), a beggar-cum-conman as a servant to keep up the pretense. The school owners (Rai Saheb and his wife), are looking for their long lost daughter Laxmi (hence the Laxmi School), who went missing sixteen years ago and the only thing tying her to them is a locket and an identification mark in the form of a mole on her left foot. They employ a detective Raju ([[Kishore Kumar]]) and his sidekick Chandragupta ([[Marutirao Parab|Maruti]]) to find her. Raju is an orphan brought up as a nephew by the Rai Saheb. The old couple find a resemblance in Mary to their daughter and show her a photo of Laxmi that looks like her. Mary tells them that she can't be their daughter as she was brought up in a Christian environment by Christian parents.

Mary feels bad for lying about her married status to the Rai Saheb and his wife. She and Arun start liking each other in spite of their constant bickering. The owner's other daughter and Mary's biological sister Sita (Jamuna) has a fondness for Arun which upsets Mary. There are several comic sequences involving Raju and Chandragupta. The truth is revealed about Mary being the Rai Saheb's daughter Laxmi when her foster parents arrive.<ref name="T"/>

==Cast==

{{Cast listing|
* [[Meena Kumari]] as Laxmi / Miss Mary<ref name="H">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/miss-mary-1957/article3000318.ece|title= Miss Mary (1957)|first=Deepak|last=Mahaan|date=16 March 2012|access-date=3 September 2024|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408222032/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/miss-mary-1957/article3000318.ece|archive-date=8 April 2014|work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>
* [[Kishore Kumar]] as Raju<ref name="C"/>
* [[Gemini Ganesan]] as Arun<ref name="H"/>
* [[Jamuna (actress)|Jamuna]] as Sita<ref name="T"/>
* [[Achala Sachdev]] as Laxmi and Sita's mother<ref name="C"/>
* [[Jagdish Sethi]] as Rai Saheb, Laxmi and Sita's father<ref name="C"/>
* [[Randhir (actor)|Randhir]] as John<ref name="T">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JEqwDAAAQBAJ|title=Take-2: 50 Films That Deserve a New Audience|date=2015|first=Deepa|last=Gahlot|publisher=Hay House |isbn=978-93-84544-85-0 |access-date=3 September 2024|archive-date=3 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240903091643/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Take_2/JEqwDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Om Prakash]] as Nakdau<ref name="C"/>
* [[A. Karunanidhi|Karunanidhi]] as Karunanidhi
* [[Marutirao Parab|Maruti]] as Chandragupta<ref name="T"/>
* [[Shivraj]] as a Christian priest and Laxmi's foster father<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/character-actor-shivraj-passes-away/article18718691.ece|title=Character actor Shivraj passes away|first=Namrata|last=Joshi|work=[[The Hindu]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605104937/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/character-actor-shivraj-passes-away/article18718691.ece|archive-date=5 June 2022|date=4 June 2017|access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref>
* Kesari as Vaidji
}}

== Production ==
[[B. Nagi Reddi]], the producer of the original, was insistent on having [[L. V. Prasad]] direct the Hindi remake.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-columns/blast-from-the-past-missamma-1955/article6505603.ece|title=Blast from the past: Missamma (1955)|newspaper=The Hindu |date=16 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018092133/https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-columns/blast-from-the-past-missamma-1955/article6505603.ece|archive-date=18 October 2023|access-date=3 September 2024|url-access=subscription}}</ref> [[Gemini Ganesan]] (credited as Ganesh) reprised his role from the Tamil original ''[[Missiamma]]'' (1955) since Prasad felt that "there was no one who could do a dignified comedy in Hindi".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/100yearsofgeminiganesan-celebrating-gemini-ganesan/photostory/79251910.cms|title=#100YearsOfGeminiGanesan: Remembering the thespian Gemini Ganesan|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=16 November 2020|access-date=3 September 2024|archive-date=17 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220917232407/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/100yearsofgeminiganesan-celebrating-gemini-ganesan/photostory/79251910.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Jamuna (actress)|Jamuna]], who was a part of both the Telugu original ''[[Missamma]]'' (1955) and ''Missiamma'', reprised her role for the Hindi remake.<ref name="C"/> [[Kishore Kumar]] after spending five days idling in a hotel room, got fed up and starting cutting his hair on one side. He started cutting on the other side, and since he overdid it, he continuously cut his hair until he was called to come on set when he did not have much hair anymore.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/i-screamed-pretended-to-be-crazy-kishore-kumar-in-1985/articleshow/9527820.cms|title=I screamed, pretended to be crazy: Kishore Kumar|date=1985|work=[[The Illustrated Weekly of India]]|via=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=3 September 2024|archive-date=9 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809154235/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/I-screamed-pretended-to-be-crazy-Kishore-Kumar-in-1985/articleshow/9527820.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Themes and influences ==
Arun teaches Sita music using a piano, which was common in Hindi films of that time to signify wealth.<ref name="T"/>

[[Gemini Ganesan]] was credited with introducing a fresh touch of a well-groomed, sophisticated South Indian youth into the Hindi film hero persona.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tgo9BAAAQBAJ|title=Hero Vol.1 - Volume 1|first=Ashok|last=Raj|date=2009|publisher=Hay House |isbn=978-93-81398-02-9 |access-date=3 September 2024|quote=Gemini Ganesan [...] introduced in the Hindi film hero's persona a refreshing touch of a well-groomed sophisticated South Indian youth as seen in [...] ''Miss Mary'' (1957)|archive-date=3 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240903091644/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hero_Vol_1/tgo9BAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
The music and background score was composed by [[Hemant Kumar]] and the lyrics were penned by [[Rajendra Krishan]].<ref name=MissMary>{{cite web |title=Miss Mary |url=http://www.hindigeetmala.net/movie/miss_mary.htm |website=hindigeetmala.net |publisher=Hindi Geetmala |access-date=21 October 2015 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924030208/http://www.hindigeetmala.net/movie/miss_mary.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> All of the songs are different from the original soundtrack except for the song "Brindavan Ka Krishna Kanhaiya", which was reused from the song titled "Brindaavanamadi Andaridi" in Telugu and "Brindavanamum Nandakumaranu" in Tamil.<ref name="B">{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/when-legend-with-baritone-made-music-for-tamil-films/articleshow/77176543.cms|title=When legend with baritone made music for Tamil films|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=26 July 2020|first=R.|last=Rangaraj|access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref>

The songs were popular, especially "Gaana Na Aaya, Bajaana Na Aaya" sung by [[Kishore Kumar]], "Yeh Mard Bade Dilsard, Bade Bedard", "O Raat Ke Musafir Chanda Zara Bata De", "Brindavan Ka Krishna Kanhaiya" sung by [[Lata Mangeshkar]] and [[Mohammed Rafi]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UyZXEAAAQBAJ&dq=Miss+Mary+(1957)&pg=PT135|title=Windows to the Soul: And Other Essays on Music|first=Manek|last=Premchand|date=2021|publisher=Notion Press |isbn=979-8-88503-153-0 |access-date=3 September 2024|archive-date=3 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240903091645/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Windows_to_the_Soul/UyZXEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Miss+Mary+(1957)&pg=PT135&printsec=frontcover|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Lata Mangeshkar]] and [[Asha Bhosle]], who first sang together in ''Ladli'' (1949), had a duet in the film: "Sakhi Ri Sun Bole Papiha Us Paar". Asha, despite her lack of training from her father Dinanath Mangeshkar and other Ustads, was able to follow Lata ably in her [[Sargam (music)|sargam]]-[[Taan (music)|taan]], keeping "perfect timing".<ref name="Ranchan2014">{{cite book |last=Ranchan |first=Vijay |title=Story of a Bollywood Song |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p3h2AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT100 |access-date=21 October 2015 |date=2 January 2014 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |pages=100– |id=GGKEY:9E306RZQTQ7}}</ref>

Sukhpreet Kahlon of ''Cinestaan'' wrote that "Although [[Kishore Kumar]] isn't the hero of this film, he displays his musical talent in the song "Gaana Na Aaya". With lyrics like "O My Sita" and "Paplu Papita", the song is a nutty medley of various music forms and styles, which includes the nursery rhyme "[[Three Blind Mice]]".<ref name="C">{{cite web |title=An unconventional heroine |url=https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2017/aug/10/7455/an-unconventional-heroine-meena-kumari-in-miss-mary |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822174523/https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2017/aug/10/7455/an-unconventional-heroine-meena-kumari-in-miss-mary |url-status=live |archive-date=22 August 2017 |website=Cinestaan.com |access-date=3 September 2024 |first=Sukhpreet |last=Kahlon}}</ref>

===Track listing===
{|class="wikitable"
! Song
! Singer(s)
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{refh}}
|-
| "Gaana Na Aaya, Bajaana Na Aaya
| [[Kishore Kumar]]
| <ref name="H"/>
|-
| "Sakhi Ri Sun Bole Papiha Us Paar"
| [[Lata Mangeshkar]], [[Asha Bhosle]]
|<ref name="H"/>
|-
| "Saiyan Lag Jaa Gale, Aaja Mera Dil Jale"
| Lata Mangeshkar
|<ref name="T"/>
|-
| "So Gaya Saara Jahan"
| Lata Mangeshkar
|<ref name="H"/>
|-
| "Yeh Mard Bade Dilsard Bade Bedard" (Female)
| Lata Mangeshkar
|<ref name="H"/>
|-
| "Yeh Mard Bade Dilsard Bade Bedard" (Male)
| [[Mohammed Rafi]]
|<ref name="H"/>
|-
| "Pehle Paisa Phir Bhagwaan
| Mohammed Rafi
|<ref name="H"/>
|-
| "Brindavan Ka Krishna Kanhaiya"
| Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi
|<ref name="B"/>
|-
| "O Raat Ke Musafir Chanda Zara Bata De"
| Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi
|<ref name="H"/>
|-
| "Aayi Re Ghir Ghir Pehli Pehli Baadariya
| [[Geeta Dutt]]
| <ref name="T"/>
|-
|}

== Reception ==
[[Meher Baba]] and his disciple Mehera saw the film in [[Pune]] after being recommended the film by Baba's brother Jal, who said that the film was enjoyable.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jj27DwAAQBAJ|title=Mehera-Meher: A Divine Romance|page=178|date=2021|first=David|last=Fenster|publisher=Meher Nazar Publications |access-date=3 September 2024|archive-date=3 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240903091743/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mehera_Meher_A_Divine_Romance/Jj27DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite the film's box office success, [[Gemini Ganesan]] failed to establish a career in Hindi cinema.<ref name="T"/>

In 2012, a critic from ''[[The Hindu]]'' wrote that "If Prasad's direction is deft, camerawork by Muthuswami, aided by set designing of Shantaram, gives you alluring pictorial moments. A large credit for the film's appeal is also because of the slick editing by K. Shankar which never allows any scene to drag. So despite a fluffy story, watch ''Miss Mary'' for all the above reasons".<ref name="H"/> In 2015, Deepa Gahlot in her book ''Take-2: 50 Films That Deserve a New Audience'', wrote that "''Miss Mary'' had a rather bold plot for 1957 – an unmarried young woman pretending to be the wife of a stranger, for the sake of a job!" and concluded that "It must have been refreshing for audiences to watch a light hearted romance. It still is".<ref name="T"/> In 2022, a writer from ''[[Indo-Asian News Service|IANS]]'' wrote that "Though typecast as a tragedienne, she [Meena Kumari] could do comic roles with aplomb too as seen in films such as ''Miss Mary'' (1957), [[Shararat (1959 film)|''Shararat'']] (1959) and ''[[Kohinoor (1960 film)|Kohinoor]]'' (1960) but she never got much of a chance. This was perhaps her biggest tragedy".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/on-her-50th-death-anniversary-remembering-the-triple-tragedies-of-meena-kumari/articleshow/90584401.cms|title=On her 50th death anniversary, remembering the triple tragedies of Meena Kumari|date=1 April 2022|work=[[Indo-Asian News Service|IANS]]|via=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|00139466|Miss Mary}}
{{L. V. Prasad}}
{{AVM Productions}}

[[Category:1957 films]]
[[Category:Films shot in India]]
[[Category:1957 Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:1957 Indian films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Hemant Kumar]]
[[Category:Films directed by L. V. Prasad]]
[[Category:AVM Productions films]]
[[Category:Hindi remakes of Telugu films]]
[[Category:Hindi remakes of Tamil films]]
[[Category:Hindi remakes of Bengali films]]
[[Category:Indian comedy films]]
[[Category:1957 comedy films]]

Miss Mary (1957 film) - Revision history

Sarker Tanvir Ahmed: data