Signorina F Manelli

Featuring onscreen in the early era of Indian silent cinema, Italian actress Signorina F Manelli is known for the films Nala Damayanti (1920), Dhruva Charitra (1921), and Pati Bhakti (1922). She featured in some of the giant distribution corporation and studio which dominated India’s silent cinema - Madan Theatres’ productions which were collaborations with Italian acting and technical talent, most prominent being the Italian cineaste Eugenio de Liguoro. She mostly acted alongside Italian actor Signor Manelli. 

She first acted in Madan Theatres’ Nala Damayanti (1920), a high-budget film that combined the studio’s in-house technical and acting crew with Italian talent. Directed by de Liguoro and Jyotish Bannerjee, the film featured Madan’s star Patience Cooper as Damayanti and Keki Adajani as Nala, with Eugenio de Liguoro playing Puskar, Signor Manelli playing Puskar’s friend, and Signorina Albertini essaying a dancer. 

Depicting a popular episode from the epic Mahabharata, the film heavily utilised special effects, showcasing scenes such as Nala's ascent to Mount Meru, the gods' transformation into five Nalas, the love messenger swan, the magic fire, and King Rituparna's flight. Drawing from de Liguoro’s experience with Orientalist spectacles like Fascino d'Oro (1919), and produced on a grand scale by Madan Theatres, the film was technically superior to its contemporaries. 

The following year, she acted in the de Liguoro-directed mythological story based on the Puranic legend of the boy Dhruva. His quest for eternal salvation was rewarded when he became the brightest star in the heavens. The pole star is known as Dhruvatara. Written by Pandit Tulsi Dutt Shaida, the film starred Patience Cooper as Suniti, Master Mohan as Narad, Signora Dorros as a dancer, James Magarth as King Uthanpad, Master Manilal as Vishnu, and P Signor Manelli as Govardhan.

In 1921, she acted in Madan’s mythological Shiva Ratri also known as Lore of Faith, directed by Camille de Grande. She played the hunter’s wife, with the hunter played by Signor Manelli. The lead cast comprised Bose Prabodh Chandra as Shiva, Gopal Bhattacharya as Vishnu, Kusum Kumari as Parvati, and Basanta Kumari as the queen. 

In 1922, she featured in Madan’s Pati Bhakti/ Human Emotions, a social film which advocates women’s devotion to their husbands; the film was a significant prototype of the genre. Directed by Jamahedji Jehangirji Madan and written by Hari Krishna Jauhar and Pandit Tulsi Dutt Shaida, it starred Patience Cooper as Leelavati, the protagonist.  The cast included Master Mohan, Master Manilal, Sayed Hussain, and Sajjad Master. Censors reportedly demanded that an 'obscene' dance sequence be removed and the film was later re-censored in November 1923.

In 1922, she also acted in Ramayan, based on the popular Indian epic, and directed by de Liguoro. She starred alongside Bhagaban Das and Patience Cooper.