Mehboob Productions Ltd.

Background: This was the production company of Indian director and producer Mehboob Khan, which he established in 1942. Khan is most well-known for his internationally successful and critically acclaimed film, Mother India (1957). When Khan died in 1964, the company ceased almost all business, and he left behind financial debts on his family. The fortunes of the studio revived in the 1970s with the rights of Mother India reverted to the family and a recording studio was added. The company is pretty much inactive as of now, with real-estate developments and a fire striking the studio in 2000, and as of 2010 the former studio is an arts and cultural space.

(1943-1962)

Humayum (1945)Mother India (1957)Mehboob Productions Limited

Nicknames: "Communist India", "Communist Statue of Doom", "Indian Thunderstorm", "Communist Tombstone"

Logo: We see many thunders and fogs at the beginning on a red background, which then slowly reveals a yellow tombstone that contains an M inside the communist/Soviet emblem, below it reads "MEHBOOB" and smaller "PRODUCTIONS" below the former text. The tombstone slowly zooms in.

Variants: From 1943 to 1947 and in 1949 (like in Humayum) the logo used a B&W version which consisted of several thunders and fogs at the beginning, and after we see between thunders up to 3 times appearing very quick the tombstone, until the logo is still. Anokhi Ada and Andazused a still B&W version with just the announcer. There are clouds around the tombstone. Some prints of Mother India have a dark blue background, and the tombstone has a blue emblem. The appearance of the tombstone is also delayed, with the voiceover starting during some drawn out fog effects.

FX/SFX: The thunders and fogs, the tombstone appearing.

Music/Sounds: Some thunder sounds along with a dramatic fanfare, followed by a male announcer (Pakistani musician and actor Rafiq Ghaznavi) saying in Hindi: "The Plaintiff might wish you a million ills, but what of it? That alone happens that God allows." (There are various Indian logos in which an announcer says a religious phrase rather than saying the company name.)

Availability: Seen on Hindi films released by the company.

Editor's Note: It depends on the variant:The thunders (which might remind some of Renaissance Pictures), fanfare, slowly zooming tombstone and the creepy sounding announcer might scare lots of people. Others might find it disturbing with its connection to communism. The dark blue variant makes it more unnerving with a darker color scheme.