Himanshu Rai who went to England for Studying Law from Calcutta where he completed his studies
and became a barrister .There he met a playwright and screenwriter Niranjan Pal. That association led to making of a film The Light of Asia, which he co-directed with Franz Osten. Rai was also one of the main actors in this film.Before this film he Directed Prem Sanyas/Leuchte Asiens (German Title) in 1925.In 1928 he produced a film Shiraz in which he acted also.
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| A Scene from Karma |
- While making his third film, A Throw of Dice, he met and fell in love with beautiful Devika Rani, a great-grandniece of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Before this film was complete, he married her.
- By 1932 he was back to India, the idea of starting a studio was still in his mind.He was meeting lots of people trying to convince people to invest in his project but his efforts were not successful.Hunt for looking the Financer completed when he was intoduced to Shri Raj Narain Dube the son of Seth Badriprasad Dube who was a well known financer of that time.Shri Raj Narain Dube was young and was confident enough to the power of Art and Creativity.To invest in a business which was new to them and also not seen as a respectable business.Shri Raj Narain Dube went against the advise of his father for investing in cinema. He took a risk and annoyance of his father he gave Himanshu Rai a green signal to go ahead with his dream .The famous SHASHDHAR MUKARJEE also joined them along with F E Dinshaw and Sir Feroze Sethna.
- On 22nd June 1934 India's First Studio Bombay Talkies was formed and a studio was built in Malad, on the outskirts of Mumbai. In its quest to set up the most modern film studio in India, Bombay Talkies purchased state-of-the-art equipment from Germany and recruited German and British talent, such as cinematographer Josef Wirsching, art director Karl von Spretti and director Franz Osten.
- The first film of Bombay Talkies was KARMA starring Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani By 1935, starting with the murder mystery Jawani ki Hawa, Bombay Talkies regularly began producing Hindi films with Devika Rani as its main star. The self-sufficient studio had a board of directors, issued shares to the public, declared dividends and bonuses, and was listed on the stock exchange. In addition, Rai and Rani even started a trainee programme. Each year, Rai interviewed scores of candidates from leading universities and assigned employees to a variety of tasks in all departments of filmmaking.
- Ashok Kumar was the first Star introduced by Bombay Talkies .Later on Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani became a highly successful pair both appeared in many hit movies JEEWAN NAIYA (1936) and ACHHUT KANYA (1936)
- Durring the 2nd World War Film Industries all over the globe were strugling .Bombay Talkies was no exception despite a highly siccessful films the company.was facing financial crisis .At this point 10-15 fims were on production floor which were stalled pretty badly this led to nervous break down of Himanshu Rai.He passed away on 16th May 1940
- After Rai's death, there was a struggle for studio control. His widow Devika Rani was in conflict with Sashadhar Mukherjee. Eventually there was dual control and alternate production of films by the two camps. During this era Mukherjee produced the studio's biggest hitKismet in 1943. Then Mukherjee broke away to form Filmistan Studio in partnership, and Devika Rani, fully in charge of the studio, did not have as much success.
- In 1945 Devika Rani married Svetoslav Roerich and moved away from Bombay and films. Ashok Kumar and Mukherjee made a bid to revive Bombay talkies and produced one big hit in Mahal. Eventually the studio shut down
- After Devika Rani left the movies in 1945, Ashok Kumar and many others returned to their alma mater in 1947. But the studio was unable to clear its debts despite the success of such films as Majboor (1948), Ziddi (1948), which gave Dev Anand his first big hit and Kishore Kumar his first playback singing chance, and the suspense thriller Mahal (1949).
Though the studio continued making films, Bombay Talkies died a lingering death in the fifties. Its final productions were Bimal Roy’s Maa(1952), with the studio’s one-time heroine Leela Chitnis playing the title role, the Ashok Kumar-Dev Anand-Meena Kumari starrer Tamasha (1952) and the Ashok Kumar-P Bhanumathi vehicle Shamsheer (1953). Even a last-ditch effort, the multi-starrer Baadbaan (1954), made by the Bombay Talkies Workers Industrial Co-operative Society, could not save the studio from shutting down. - This is the story of India's biggest Film company which produced 102 films and launched 280 legends of all the fields of cinema constucted 400 cinema halls throughout the country and Financed nearly 700 Films.
- Some of the Legends given by Bombay Talkies are-
Himanshu Rai
LEGENDS GIVEN BY BOMBAY TALKIES- 1892 - 16 May 1940Launched as a lead actor in Bombay Talkies produced film - Achut kanya (1936)Padma Bhushan - 1998The Dadasaheb Phalke Award - 1988National Award - 1Filmfare Awards - 3- Devika Rani 30 March 1908 – 9 March 1994Launched In Karma (1934)
The President Of India honored Devika Rani with a Padma Shri - (1958)
She Became The First Recipient Of The Prestigious Film Prize, The Dadasaheb Phalke Award - (1969) - Ashok Kumar 13 October 1911 - 10 December 2001Launched as a lead actor in Bombay Talkies produced film - Achut kanya (1936)
Padma Bhushan – 1998
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award – 1988
National Award – 1
Filmfare Awards - 3 - Dilip Kumar
14 February 1933 - present 23rd June 2016Bombay Talkies launched his career with - Jhwar Bhatta (1944)Padma Bhushan - 1991Dadasaheb Phalke Award - 1994Filmfare Best Actor award - 8Filmfare Nominations - 19Shriff Of Mumbai City 1991Nominated Member of parliament - Dev Anand
26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011His first hit film came under Bombay Talkies production - Ziddi (1948)Padma Bhushan - 2001Dadasaheb Phalke Award - 2002National Awards - 2Filmfare Awards - 4 - Raj Kapoor14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988Started working as assistant at Bombay Talkies in - 1935Introduced as a lead in Bombay Talkies produced film - Neel Kamal 1947Padma Bhushan award - 1971Dadasaheb Phalke Award - 1987National Film Awards - 2Filmfare Awards - 9Filmfare Nominations - 19.2 Films Nominated At The Palme D'or At The Cannes Film Festival
- Satyajit ray2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992Began his career as a assistant to Nitin bose in Bombay Talkies production - Mashal (1951)The Dadasaheb Phalke Award - 1985Bharat ratna - 1992Padma Shri award - 1958Padma bhushan award - 1965National film awards - 32
- Madhubala
14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969Started her career as a child artist (baby mumtaz) with Bombay Talkies in - Basant (1942)Later, Bombay Talkies introduced her as a lead in - Neel kamal (1947) - Mehmood29 september 1932 – 23 july 2004Started as a Child artist in Bombay Talkies produced - Kismet (1943)Filmfare awards - 5Filmfare nominations - 15
- Kishore Kumaraugust 1929 – 13 october 1987First opportunity as play back singer in Bombay Talkies production - Ziddi (1948) Introduced as a lead by Bombay Talkies in - Andolan (1951) Filmfare awards - 8 Filmfare nominations - 19
- Lata Mangeshkar28 september 1929 - presentStarted her career as a chorus singer with Bombay Talkies Her first hit came in Bombay Talkies produced film - Mahal (1949) Bharat ratna 1969 Padma bhusan- 1999
Dadasaheb phalke award - 1989National awards - 3
Filmfare awards - 4 - Pran12 February 1920 – 12 July 2013His first hit as a villain came in Bombay Talkies production - Ziddi (1948)
Padma bhushan - 2001Dadasaheb Phalke Award - 2013 - Leela Chitins9 september 1909 – 14 july 2003Launched by Bombay Talkies in Kangan (1939)
- Nalini Jaiwant
18 february 1926 – 20 december 2010Her first hit came in a Bombay Talkies film - Sangram (1950) - Kamini Kaushalborn 16 january 1927 - presentIntroduced by Bombay Talkies in Sangram (1950)Filmfare award - 1
- JairajSeptember 28, 1909 – August 11, 2000Got in the lead hero category with Bombay Talkies production - Bhabhi (1938)
Dadasaheb Phalke Award - 1980Padma bhusan - 1980 - Hansa Wadkar
24 january 1924 - 23 august 1971Introduced by Bombay Talkies in Navjeean (1939) - Kamal Amrohi17 January 1918 - 11 February 1993Began his journey as a director in Bombay Talkies film - Mahaal (1949)Filmfare Award - 1
- Bimal roy12 jul 1909 - 8 jan 1965Bombay Talkies produced his first hindi film - Maa (1952)National awards - 2Filmfare awards - 11Also the International prize of the cannes film festival.
- Nitin Bose
26 April 1897 - 14 April 1986Made his first hindi film under Bombay Talkies production - Milan (1947)Dadasaheb Phalke Award - 1977 - Ameya Chakrabarti1901–1986Started his career by working as a writer in Bombay Talkies produced - Bandhaan (1940) Introduced as a director in Bombay Talkies production - Anjaan (1943)
- Shakti Samnta3rd January 1926 – 9th April 2009Started his career with assisting Gyna mukherjee in Bombay Talkies produced film - Sangram (1950)Filmfare awards - 3
- Shashadhar Mukheerji29 September 1909 - 3 November 1990Started as manager of Bombay Talkies - 1934
- Khwaja Ahmed Abbas7 June 1914 – 1 June 1987Introduced by Bombay Talkies as a writer in - Naya Sansar (1941)
- Lv Prasad
17 January 1908 – 22 June 1994Started as lab incharge for Bombay Talkies - 1935Dadasaheb Phalke Award award - 1982 - Kishore Sahu22 November 1915 - 22 August 1980Introduced by Bombay Talkies in - Jeevan Prabhat (1937)
Filmfare Award - 1 - Niranjan Pal17 August 1889 – 9 November 1959Top technician and first writer of Bombay Talkies - The Light Of Asia (Prem Sanyas) (1935)
- Saraswati Devi1912 – 1980First female music director of Asia and first music director of Bombay Talkies - Jawani Ki Hawa (1935)
- Tarachand Barjatya10 May 1914 - 21 September 1992Started as managing distribution and exhibition department of Bombay Talkies - 1940
- P. L. SantoshiAugust 7, 1916 - September 7, 1978Began his journey as a writer in Bombay Talkies produced film - Jhoola (1941)
- Abhi Bhattacharya1921–1993Launched as a lead in Bombay Talkies Bengali venture - Naukadubi (1947)Filmfare award - 1956
- Mukri5th January 1922 – 4th September 2000Bombay Talkies launched his career with - Pratima (1945)
- Sachin Dev Burman (S.D Burman)
1 October 1906 – 31 October 1975His First hit Hindi film as a music director came under Bombay Talkies production - Mashal (1951)National film awards - 2Filmfare awards - 7 - Hrishikesh Mukherjee30 September 1922–27 August 2006Started his journey by assisting Bimal roy in Bombay Talkies produced film - Maa (1952)Padma bhushan - 2001Dadasaheb Phalke Award award - 1999
- Guru Dutt9 July 1925 – 10 October 1964Started his career with assisting Gyan Mukherjee in Bombay Talkies produced film - Sangram (1950)
- Salil Chowdhary19 November 1922 – 5 September 1995Began his career by assisting music director S.K. Pal in Bombay Talkies produced film - Maa (1952)
- Manna Dey1 May 1919 − 24 October 2013Started with assisting S. D. Burman Mashaal (1951)Dadasaheb Phalke Award - 2007
- Joseph Whirshing22 March 1903 –11 June 1967Started as the first cameraman of Bombay Talkies in Light Of Asia (Prem Sanyas) (1935)
- Sita Devi
1912–1983Leading Lady for the first film produced by Bombay Talkies - Light Of Asia (Prem Sanyas) (1935) - Gemini Ganeshan17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005Bombay Talkies gave him his first hindi film - Maharani (1946)Padma shri award - 1971
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