Fatma Begum
Directing
Biography
Actress, director, and screenwriter. First female Indian director.
Place of Birth: Surat, Gujarat, India
Known For
Duniya Kya Hai
Based on Lev Tolstoy's Resurrection. An independent production by Lalita Pawar starring herself as a mistreated orphan called Lalita in this rare example of a melodrama drawn from a non-Indian literary source. Madhav (Kale), the son of the family, impregnates Lalita and promises to marry her on his return from Bombay. Years later, Madhav returns married, and refuses to recognise her. To feed her son, Lalita becomes a prostitute and is accused of a murder that takes place in the brothel. The prosecutor turns out to be Madha
Gul-e-Bakavali
Based on a popular legend, this silent film tells the story of the fairy Bakavali and her divine flower, the Gul, which possesses healing powers. Taj-ul-Mulk, a prince from the East, seeks the flower to cure his blind father. The legend's origins are debated: one version traces it to a 19th-century translation of a Persian tale, while another points to a 16th-century narrative from Abely Sheikh. The story was a favorite on the Parsee stage, particularly the scenes where Taj-ul-Mulk battles his villainous brothers, who steal the flower. The tale also features Bakavali turning to stone and her eventual human rebirth.