EXCLUSIVE!

REMEMBRANCE OF 'DR. KOTNIS KI AMAR KAHANI'

- Manoj Kulkarni

Last month on the occasion of our PM & French President visit to our holy river Ganga at Varanasi..I wrote about French film 'Le Fleuve' ('The River'/1951) which renowned French filmmaker Jean Renoir made in our India at the same place!

 K. A. Abbas..writer of this film.

And now while watching the news of our PM visit to Chinese President in China, I remembered our V. Shantaram's important film 'Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani' (1946) which focused on the great work of our Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis in China during the Japanese invasion in World War II.

Renowned Filmmaker V. Shantaram.

'Rajkamal Kalamandir's this film was based on the novel 'And One Did Not Come Back' wrote by K. A. Abbas who also wrote it's screenplay with V. P. Sathe! It's about Dr. Kotnis who was sent to China during second world war..to provide medical assistance to the troops!..This was very sensibly directed by V. Shantaram with his cinematographer V. Avadhoot!

V. Shantaram & Jayashree in critical scene of 

 'Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani' (1946)

V. Shantaram himself portrayed the great role of Dr. Kotnis in this film. And his wife Jayashree played the role of Chinese girl Ching Lan whom doctor met there! In other roles there were Baburao Pendharkar (General Fong), Master Vinayak (Bundoo), Keshavrao Date (father), Pratima Devi (mother) & V. Shantaram-Jayashree's daughter Rajashree surprisingly played the son of doctor in it!

This Hindi film latter made in English with title 'The Journey of Dr. Kotnis'! And in both the versions director V. Shantaram himself did the title role! This film got international recognition with screening in prestigious film festivals like Venice & Karlovy Vary!

Salute to great work of Dr. Kotnis in China & this film made on it!

- Manoj Kulkarni
['Chitrasrushti', Pune, India]