query regarding Mahal

[sancho]

Was having a chat at home with my Dad when we ended up disagreeing
regarding the beginning and ending of "Mahal"- the 1949 Ashok Kumar,
Madhubala one. Since I saw the film more than 20 years ago and my
father much earlier than that, I thought i would check it out with
some of you here.

My memory says that the movie begins with it being a stormy night with
a background voice stating that this story relates to a long time ago
(i some how remember it saying 30 years ago) and Ashok Kumar reaching
the "daak bangla" in the middle of the night with the clock striking
(one?)...the whole story then unfolds with him seeing his own
portrait, the entire madhubala angle, etc. The movie ends with Ashok
Kumar being released from jail and realizing that Madhubala has
already married his friend. If i remember correctly, there is a
dialogue about "agle janam me milan" and Madhubala walks out with
Ashok Kumar sitting on a chair and the movie ends there.

My father agrees with all this but he insists there are 2 additional
scenes - one at the beginning and one at the end. He says that the
movie starts with Ashok Kumar and Madhubala, as husband and wife,
arriving at a railway station on a stormy night and a "taangewala"
takes them as passengers. The "taangewala" tells them a story of a
similar stormy night many years ago in the same area- cut to a
flashback with Ashok Kumar reaching the "daak bangla"...and the rest
of the story as above. At the end, once Madhubala walks out and the
camera pans away from Ashok Kumar on the chair, rather than the movie
ending it comes back to the present. The "tangewala" says that nobody
had heard of the 2 of them ever again...and by now they reach the
destination, which is a daak bangla-clearly the same one . Ashok Kumar
and Madhubala get off the "tanga" and as they enter the daak bangla
the clock strikes (one?)...and the movie ends there.

Now, i must admit that my Dad's version has a certain appeal which
makes the story much more interesting but I am fairly sure that this
is not what i have seen. Were there 2 versions of the story? Or did DD
just edit out the beginning and the ending in the version i saw. Or is
my father just making this up? Is there anyone who has seen this film
many many years ago and remembers it from then. Any clarity is
appreciated

regards
Sancho

[surjit singh]

I believe that your dad's version fits Achhut Kanya. He is mis-
remembering.

[sancho]

> remembering.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

thanks a lot. i will try and see if i can get hold of a copy of achhut
kanya and watch it
regards
Sancho