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Patrani (1956)

Vijay Bhatt

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Release Date1956
GenreHistorical, Drama
FormatB-W
LanguageHindi
Length4570.78 meters
Gauge35 mm
Censor RatingU
Censor Certificate NumberU-15687-MUM
Certificate Date16/03/1956

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King Karnadev Solanki of Gujrati was an aesthetic man. In his young days, he had met a beautiful damsel and had lost his heart to her. This thought, being always predominant in his mind, he was neglecting all his queens and he had no heir-apparent to the throne.

The queen mother was very much worried over this and with the aid of the minister Munjal Mehta, she sought another queen for the King, would fulfill her wishes.

King Karnadev found solace in spending most of his time at Karnavati, a city built by the King. Another minister, Udai Mantri, was in charge of this city.

King Karnadev had a weakness; he could not bear to see anything black; he hated the dark complexion, and he could not get over this weakness.

Udai Mantri formed the impression from the King's frequent visits to Karanvati and his stay that he must be in love with Namunjala, a "Nartaki" of Karnavati, popularly known as the Mohini of Karnavati.

King Jaikeshi of Carnatac had a daughter named Mrinalla. She had accompanied her parents in her young age on a Teerth-Yatra, where she met a man, whose thought was always haunting her and who was always meeting her in her dreams. She was bent upon marrying him only and had refused all other choices. King Jaikeshi had sent the court artist Vichitram, to bring portraits of the princes from East, West, North, and South to enable his daughter to spot out her lover.

Munjal Mehta the minister reached Carnatac, in disguise, and found that horoscope of Mrinalla definitely predicted motherhood. The Princess Mrinalla was spending most of her time painting the portrait of her dream prince. Munjal learned that her delicate skin turned black if exposed to the sun. This was a problem to Munjal Mehta, for he very well knew the weakness of King Karnadev. He contrived to fix up this marriage secretly.

During his wandering, Vichitram met Udai Mantri and requested a portrait of King Karnadev. But the King instead of posing for the portrait asked the artist to draw the damsel of his dream. At the instance of Udai Mantri who thought 'Nartaki" to be the King's dream girl, Vichitram presented a portrait of Namunjala the Nartaki with a veil on her face. When Munjal exposed to the King that the portrait was of a common dancing girl the King tore it in rage.

Meanwhile, the King's attention was drawn to a portrait of Mrinalla left tactfully in a corner by Munjal without anybody's knowledge. Finding it to be that of the damsel he loved, the King was informed that the portrait was that of the Carnatac princess. Munjal having doubt of Mrinalla's complexion managed to make Udai Mantri take the lead to bring the bride.

Vichitram the artist had reached Carnatac with a portrait of King Karnadev stealthily put in his satchel by Munjal. The Princess found her dream prince in King Karnadev but she was informed that the King would not marry anyone except his dream girl. In despair, the princess left Carnatac wandering here and there and was completely sunburnt in her wanderings.

Vichitram returned to King Karnadev with a proposal of marriage from King Jaikeshi. Udai Mantri was sent by the King along with Vichitram to bring the princess as a royal bride.

Mrinalla arrived with her bridal veil and finding her sunburnt dark complexion on her hands and feet entirely different to that of the portrait the king felt he was duped and refused to marry her.

Princess Mrinalla could not bear the insult. It was an insult to the entire womanhood and it was a talk in the whole country.

Munjal managed to bring this talk of the town, in disguise, to the knowledge of the King and succeeded in Making the King marry Mrinalla. But the King after the marriage refused to meet the dark-complexioned queen.

You will see on the screen, how Munjal Mehta succeeds in changing the mind of the King, how he disposes of Nartaki, and eventually succeeds in the reunion of the King and the Princess of Carnatac making her Patrani and the birth of heir-apparent.

(From the official press booklet)