Aadmi (1939 film)

Aadmi
Film Poster
Directed by	V. Shantaram
Produced by	Prabhat Film Company
Written by	A. Bhaskar Rao
Starring	Shahu Modak Shanta Hublikar Sundara Bai Ram Marathe
Music by	Master Krishnarao
Cinematography	V. Avdhut
Production company	Prabhat Film Company
Release date	1939 (1939)
Running time	164 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Aadmi (English: Life's for Living) is a 1939 Hindi social reformist film directed by V. Shantaram. It was a remake of the Marathi film Manoos (1939) and is regarded as a classic from the Prabhat Film Company. The film starred Shahu Modak, Shanta Hublikar, M. S. Sundari Bai, Ram Marathe, Ganpat Rao, Ulhas and Gauri. The music was composed by Krishnarao Phulambrikar and the lyrics were by Munshi Aziz. The story is about a policeman who marries a sex worker in order to better her life but is faced by an unforgiving society. It was named by the Best Indian Film for 1939–40 by the Film Journalists Association of India.

V. Shantaram used social elements in his films and in Aadmi he dealt with the life of a sex worker. The film was a remake of his classic Marathi film Manoos made the same year which was appreciated by the audiences and commended by Charlie Chaplin. The film is considered a classic along with his other two films Duniya Na Mane (1937) and Padosi (1941) and one of the best social films made that became successful.

The music director Master Krishnarao was considered as an innovator with the orchestra. His tune "Ta Ra Ra Nao Na" from this film is an example of the modernisation. This was also the first film with a song in different languages. Sung by Shanta Hublikar,the song "Kis Liye Kal Ki Baat" had six different folk styles and languages, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi. It was critically acclaimed by Baburao Patel in his review of the film in the cine-magazine Filmindia of October 1939. Another notable song cited was "Man Paapi Bhoola Kaun Ise Samjhaye" sung by Bai Sundrabai. There is also a parody of the famous Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani song from Achhut Kanya (1936) "Main Ban Ka Panchhi" to "Main Panch Ban Ban Dolu Re" sung by Shanta Hublikar.