V Shantaram's rare British-period film screened

Audiences got a rare opportunity to watch V Shantaram's rare 1937 social classic 'Duniya Na Mane' screened on the opening day of the Delhi Book Fair to commemorate 100 years of Indian cinema.
Made only six years after the advent of talkies in Hindi cinema, the film, made by Shantaram's 'Prabhat Film Company', wowed the albeit thin audience for its incredible sense of humour, its trenchant wit and satire.
The film, though made in the 1930s, was far ahead of its time and broached the issue of treatment of women in Indian society.
Also called 'The Unexpected', the film is based on the Marathi novel, 'Na Patnari Goshta' by Narayan Hari Apte, who also wrote its screenplay.
The story revolves around the character named Kamala, played by Shanta Apte, who as an orphaned young girl is married off to an old wealthy man, for greed.
Though the audience was conspicuous by it absence, the 20-odd crowd, comprising both young and old, definitely went back feeling more fortunate than those who missed it.
"I'm glad I could see a gem like this. People do not understand old films because it is removed from the current era. But, women still suffer like the heroine did in the film, especially in the villages where they are still forcibly married to older men," said Ravi, a student.
"I think films like these are still relevant. And, people should appreciate it," he added.