Bombay Talkies
Encyclopedia
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
produced 102 movies, founded in 1934 in Malad, Bombay (now Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
), India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, by Himanshu Rai
Himanshu Rai
Himanshu Roy , one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, is best known as the founder of the Bombay Talkies in 1934. He was associated with a number of movies, including Goddess , The Light of Asia , Siraj , A Throw of Dice , and Karma .He was married to actress Devika Rani.-Bombay Talkies:He was...
, Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani
Devika Rani
Devika Rani Chaudhuri Roerich was an early Indian movie star.- Career :Born in Waltair , Devika Rani came from a distinguished background: she was the great-grandniece of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and her father, Col. M. N. Chaudhuri, was the first Indian Surgeon-General of Madras...
along with businessmen like F. E. Dinhsaw, Sir Firoze Sethna and others, with Franz Osten
Franz Osten
Franz Osten was a German filmmaker who along with Niranjan Pal was among the first retainers of Bombay Talkies. Osten partnered with Pal on a number of India's earliest blockbuster films like Achhut Kanya and Jeevan Naiya.-Early life:He was born as Franz Ostermayr in Munich on 23 December 1876...
and Niranjan Pal
Niranjan Pal
Niranjan Pal was a playwright, screenwriter and director in the Indian film industry in the silent and early talkie days...
as its first full-time filmmakers.
History
It was a high-tech movie studioMovie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
of its time, with sound and echo-proof stages, laboratories and editing rooms, and preview theatre. It was the first movie company of India, which was a public limited company
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
and was registered as a company under the Indian Companies Act. Soon, Bombay Talkies emerged as a well organized, self-sufficient, and profitable company, and made public issues, declared dividends and bonus, and at its heyday commanded a good standing on the Bombay Stock Exchange
Bombay Stock Exchange
The Bombay Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located on Dalal Street, Mumbai and is the oldest stock exchange in Asia. The equity market capitalization of the companies listed on the BSE was 1.63 trillion as of December 2010, making it the 4th largest stock exchange in Asia and the 8th largest...
.
On account of its association with European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
technicians, particularly Germans like Osten, the Bombay Talkies set a high technical standard for film making in India. Bombay Talkies also imparted a higher level of dignity to the medium of movie making and acting. This film company gave some very illustrious mega-stars to the Indian film industry, which included Devika Rani
Devika Rani
Devika Rani Chaudhuri Roerich was an early Indian movie star.- Career :Born in Waltair , Devika Rani came from a distinguished background: she was the great-grandniece of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and her father, Col. M. N. Chaudhuri, was the first Indian Surgeon-General of Madras...
, Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar also fondly called Dadamoni was an Indian film actor. Born Kumudlal Ganguly in Bhagalpur, Bengal Presidency he attained iconic status in Indian cinema...
, Leela Chitnis
Leela Chitnis
Leela Chitnis was an early actress in the Indian film industry.-Early life:She was born in Dharwar, Karnataka to an English professor. She was one of the first educated film actresses...
, Madhubala
Madhubala
Mumtaz Jahan Begum Dehlavi, known by her stage name Madhubala was a Hindi movie actress. She starred in several successful movies in the 1950s and early 1960s, many of which have attained a classic status...
, Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar , is an Indian actor and a former Member of Parliament.He lives in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai, India. He is commonly known as "Tragedy King",and is described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray....
, Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor
Known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...
, Mehmood
Mehmood
- References :* , INDOlink, 24 July 2004* , BBC, 23 July 2004* , Indian Express, 24 July 2004* , The Times of India, 23 July 2004- Further reading :* Zaveri, Hanif. Mehmood, a Man of Many Moods, Popular Prakashan, 2005. ISBN 8179912132...
etc. Bombay Talkies also gave a new dimension to themes of films, and produced films on controversial topics like the story of love (Achhut Kanya
Achhut Kanya
Achhoot Kanya is a 1936 Hindi film. Among the early super-hits in the Bombay film industry, the film deals with the social position of Dalit girls and is considered a reformist period-piece.The film was one of several successful Bombay Talkies collaborations between Franz Osten, Niranjan Pal,...
) between an Untouchable girl and a high caste Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
boy. Other notable movies produced by the Bombay Talkies included famous movies of the period like Jawani ki Hawa (1935), starring Devika Rani, and Jeevan Naiya
Jeevan Naiya
Jeevan Naiya is a 1936 film famous for being the first screen appearance and launch pad of early superstar Ashok Kumar, the film is about the ostracism of dancing girls. The film was one of several successful Bombay Talkies collaborations between Franz Osten, Niranjan Pal, Himanshu Rai, and their...
(1936), a romantic movie starring Devika Rani and Ashok Kumar.
After the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939, Bombay Talkies faced a number of problems, resulting in a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
and subsequent demise of Himanshu Rai, the founder and key figure of the studio. That time, the another founder key figure of the studio Rajnarayan Dube (The pillar of the Indian Cinema), played a very much important role during this crucial period by giving financial support (Rs. 4,10,000/-) to Himanshu Rai.
After demise of Himansu Rai, The control of the film company passed on to Devika Rani, who was also made the controller of production of the Bombay Studios. Devika Rani continued the high tradition of Bombay Talkies. Some of the famous movies of the period included Kangan and Bandhan, and famous artists who in films produced by Bombay Talkies were Madhubala
Madhubala
Mumtaz Jahan Begum Dehlavi, known by her stage name Madhubala was a Hindi movie actress. She starred in several successful movies in the 1950s and early 1960s, many of which have attained a classic status...
and Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar , is an Indian actor and a former Member of Parliament.He lives in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai, India. He is commonly known as "Tragedy King",and is described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray....
.
Soon a rift arose between Devika Rani and her managers, Sashadhar Mukherjee
Sashadhar Mukherjee
Sashadhar Mukherjee was a producer in Hindi films. He is part of the distinguished Mukherjee clan of Bollywood.Main article: Mukherjee-Samarth family...
and Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar also fondly called Dadamoni was an Indian film actor. Born Kumudlal Ganguly in Bhagalpur, Bengal Presidency he attained iconic status in Indian cinema...
, who began a rival camp. They tried alternating production between the two camps. In that crucial condition, Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani finally decided with their mutual understanding to close down the film company 'Bombay Talkies' in 1954. Among those who left Bombay Talkies after training there as a screenplay and dialogue and film story writer under Himanshu Rai and Rajnarayan Dube was Aghajani Kashmeri
Aghajani Kashmeri
Syed Wajid Hussain Rizavi Syed Wajid Hussain Rizavi Syed Wajid Hussain Rizavi (Urdu: , Hindi: सैय्यद वाजिद हुसैन रिज़वी, (16 October 1908 - 27 March 1998), better known by his Bollywood film name, Aghajani Kashmeri (Urdu: , Hindi: आग़ाजानी कश्मीरी) or Kashmiri (Urdu: , Hindi: कश्मीरी), also Agha...
(Aka Kashmiri and Agha Jani), who would go on to write more than 50 movies, including several silver jubilee (25 weeks), golden jubilee (50 weeks) hits. Aghajani wrote his very first movie for Himanshu Rai and Rajnarayan Dube called Vachan (Vow), which was directed by a German man, Franz Osten. Record of this movie is available in the U.S. Library of Congress. This is also a great fortunate of Bombay Talkies that all the mega stars who started their carrier in this company were awarded Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Dadasaheb Phalke Award
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema given annually by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. It was instituted in 1969, the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke, considered as the father of Indian cinema.The award for a particular year is...
like Devika Rani, Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Devanand etc.
'Rajnarayan Dube' (10 Oct 1910 – 9 Dec 1990) was the founder of 'Dube Industries', established in 1929. Its head office was in Marine lines in 'Dube House'. He was a great financier and had a big construction company. He had played a very much important role to save the Bombay Talkies to run it successfully. Whenever any problems arose in Bombay Talkies, Rajnarayan Dube tried to solve those problems with all resources and supports. But in the last after 1950, the managers of Bombay Talkies created some major problems among them. After this, again he tried a lot to convince them for solve those difficult problems, but it was not possible to make the situation favourable. Devika Rani was alone in this disputes and asked help from Rajnarayan Dube. He helped her in all respects in that difficult situation. Devika Rani was a great personality. Devika Rani was awarded Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
in 1958 for her great contribution in Indian Cinema, and She was the first to receive 'Dadasaheb Phalke Award' in 1969. She was the first person who became the Member of parliament.
Bombay Talkies introduced 'Dilip Kumar'. His first film, Jwar Bhata
Jwar Bhata (1944 film)
Jwar Bhata is a 1944 black and white Indian drama film directed by Amiya Chakraborty. It marked the debut of Dilip Kumar who went onto become one of the most famous actors in Hindi Cinema. The film also featured, Mridula, Shamim, Agha, Bikram Kapoor, K. N. Singh, Khalil, and Mumtaz Ali. It was...
, was released in 1944. Devika Rani
Devika Rani
Devika Rani Chaudhuri Roerich was an early Indian movie star.- Career :Born in Waltair , Devika Rani came from a distinguished background: she was the great-grandniece of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and her father, Col. M. N. Chaudhuri, was the first Indian Surgeon-General of Madras...
helped Khan's entry into the Bollywood film industry. Hindi author Bhagwati Charan Varma gave him the screen name Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar , is an Indian actor and a former Member of Parliament.He lives in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai, India. He is commonly known as "Tragedy King",and is described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray....
and gave him the leading role in his film Jwar Bhata. Devika Rani and Rajnarayan Dube spotted Khan in one of Pune's Aundh military canteens.
In 1944, Prithviraj Kapoor requested Devika Rani and Rajnarayan Dube for his son Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor
Known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...
(Ranbir Raj kapoor) to give a chance to work in Bombay Talkies. Raj Kapoor's carrier was carved in Bombay Talkies. After failing in his matriculation examination, Raj Kapoor first joined Bombay Talkies and began to work as an attendant on the sets of Bombay Talkies. Later, Raj Kapoor assisted another movies of bombay Talkies under famous director Kedar Sharma as a clapper boy. Once Kedar Sharma, while shooting in his studio, found that young Raj Kapoor did not obey his orders, he slapped him on the sets. Slap on his face changed everything for Raj Kapoor. This was like a turning point of his life. Devika Rani and Rajnarayan Dube saw young man’s determination to make it big some day. Later on, He became the greatest show man of Hindi Cinema.
Timeline
- 1934: The Bombay Talkies conceived and established.
- 1935: Jawani ki Hawa, a thriller, starring Devika Rani.
- 1936: Jeevan NaiyaJeevan NaiyaJeevan Naiya is a 1936 film famous for being the first screen appearance and launch pad of early superstar Ashok Kumar, the film is about the ostracism of dancing girls. The film was one of several successful Bombay Talkies collaborations between Franz Osten, Niranjan Pal, Himanshu Rai, and their...
, Ashok Kumar’s debut movie; another famous movie Achhut KanyaAchhut KanyaAchhoot Kanya is a 1936 Hindi film. Among the early super-hits in the Bombay film industry, the film deals with the social position of Dalit girls and is considered a reformist period-piece.The film was one of several successful Bombay Talkies collaborations between Franz Osten, Niranjan Pal,...
produced. - 1940: Death of Himanshu Rai, the founder of the Bombay Talkies.
- 1942: MadhubalaMadhubalaMumtaz Jahan Begum Dehlavi, known by her stage name Madhubala was a Hindi movie actress. She starred in several successful movies in the 1950s and early 1960s, many of which have attained a classic status...
’s debut as a child artist named Baby Mumtaz in the movie Basant. - 1943: KismetKismet (1943 film)Kismet is a 1943 Indian Hindi film, written and directed by Gyan Mukherjee and produced by Bombay Talkies during the second world war period, while it was in a succession battle between Devika Rani and Sashadhar Mukherjee after owner Himanshu Rai's death...
, a successful thriller. - 1944: Dilip Kumar's first movie Jwar BhataJwar Bhata (1944 film)Jwar Bhata is a 1944 black and white Indian drama film directed by Amiya Chakraborty. It marked the debut of Dilip Kumar who went onto become one of the most famous actors in Hindi Cinema. The film also featured, Mridula, Shamim, Agha, Bikram Kapoor, K. N. Singh, Khalil, and Mumtaz Ali. It was...
released. - 1948: ZiddiZiddi (1948 film)Ziddi is a 1948 Hindi film directed by Shaheed Latif. It was based on a story by Ismat Chughtai and launched the career of Dev Anand as the lead hero. The film helped establish its stars Dev Anand, Kamini Kaushal and Pran in Hindi films...
Dev Anands first hit. - 1949: MahalMahal (1949 film)Mahal is a 1949 Indian Hindi film directed by Kamal Amrohi and starring Ashok Kumar and Madhubala....
, a successful hit. - 1954: The Bombay Talkies was closed down.
- 1990: Death of Rajnarayan Dube, (The pillar of Indian cinema and financer of all 102 films of Bombay Talkies).
- 1994: Death of Devika Rani, she died in Banglore on 9 March 1994.
- 2001: Death of Ashok Kumar,He Died on 10 Dec,2001.
Record
KismetKismet (1943 film)
Kismet is a 1943 Indian Hindi film, written and directed by Gyan Mukherjee and produced by Bombay Talkies during the second world war period, while it was in a succession battle between Devika Rani and Sashadhar Mukherjee after owner Himanshu Rai's death...
, a movie produced by the Bombay Talkies in 1943 created a record for run of a movie – the movie continued to run for more than three and half years in Roxy, a movie theatre of Calcutta on this great success of the film Rajnarayan Dube had organised a great Bhoj for the poor people continuing for one week where more than one and half lakh poor people had taken the benefit.
Further reading
- Franz Osten and the Bombay Talkies: Journey from Munich to Malad by Amrita Ganger (Max Mueller Bhavan, Bombay, 2001)