Yahudi (1958)

Based on Kashmiri’s famous and often-filmed play, this version is partially authenticated by former Parsee Theatre actor Modi’s presence. The melodrama in fancy dress is set in ancient Rome. The infant son of Ezra the Jew (Modi) is fed to the lions by Brutus (N. Hussain). Ezra’s devoted slave Elias then kidnaps Brutus’s daughter Lydia, whom Ezra renames Hannah (Kumari) and raises as his own child. The Roman Prince Marcus (D. Kumar) falls in love with Hannah by pretending to be a commoner, but he refuses to convert to Judaism in order to marry her. When, by royal decree, Marcus is to marry Octavia, Hannah and Ezra publicly complain of Marcus’s infidelity. Realising that the penalty for infidelity is death, Hannah withdraws her complaint, which in turn entails a death sentence for herself and her father. They are saved only by Ezra’s last-minute revelation of Hannah’s true ancestry and Marcus blinds himself in atonement for his misbehaviour. The film has many popular songs, including the well-picturised Yeh mera diwanapan hai (sung by Mukesh).