Pinjra (film)

Pinjra Marathi Cage, is a 1972 Marathi film, directed by V. Shantaram, starring Shriram Lagoo and Sandhya in lead roles. In 1972, the film was also released in Hindi with the same title. Set in Tamasha folk musical theatre of Maharashtra, the film is about a morally righteousness school teacher, Lagoo, who wants to reform a Tamasha performer, played Sandhya, but ends up falling in love with her. It was an adaptation of Josef von Sternbergs German film, The Blue Angel Der Blaue Engel, 1930 starring Marlene Dietrich, which itself was based on Heinrich Manns novel Professor Unrat Professor Garbage, 1905. The film is known for its music and dance numbers with music by Ram Kadam, and picturised on the lead actress Sandhya, known for her dancing prowess. It was also the film debut of noted theatre actor, Shriram Lagoo. The film was also remade by Shantaram in Hindi with same cast and title, even the songs like Mala lagali kunachi uchaki, which were a big hit in Marathi version, were rerecorded in Hindi version.

A Mastar Marathi version of Master named Shridhar Pantguruji is an upright school teacher a man of high morals. Unfortunately, the Maharashtrian village, where he teaches, does not value these qualities. A Tamasha group comes to the village. The lead dancer of the group, Chandrakala Sandhya Shantaram steals the heart of every man in the village. The teacher is righteously infuriated by their lack of morals. He vents his anger on the dance group in form of a speech and by demolishing their temporary dwelling places.The dancer is hurt by this and decides to take revenge by staying and performing. Gradually, even adult school students start skipping class to see Tamasha. The teacher decides to confront the dancer after a performance. During a performance, she is badly injured and in humanity and humility guruji helps her. During this period, he is overwhelmed by lust that he had never before encountered. Horrified, he asks her to keep it a secret. Later, the son of the landlord Bajirao, who is against the teacher, finds him visiting Chandrakala on a daily basis. He calls his father landlord and all people to see, but they dont find guruji the teacher there. Guruji is deeply hurt as he deceives the villagers. Bajirao tries to frame guruji in a molestation case. A villager milkman who tries to save guriji is murdered by Bajirao, who implicates Shridhar. Chandrakala asks him to flee. She also misguides villagers by saying that the murder victim was, in fact, guruji. Chandrakala and Guruji change the clothes of murder victim to clothes of guruji. The dancer hides guruji as a tamasha worker in disguise. Here, he learns to drink and chew tobacco. ........

Source: Wikipedia