Bombay Talkies: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Logo of Bombay Talkies.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Logo of Bombay Talkies]] |
[[Image:Logo of Bombay Talkies.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Logo of Bombay Talkies]] |
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'''The Bombay Talkies Limited''' (commonly known as '''Bombay Talkies''') was a [[movie studio]], founded in 1934 <ref>[http://sdsd.essortment.com/bombaytalkies_riwe.htm Bombay Talkies heroes] Bombay Talkies History</ref> in [[Malad]], [[Bombay]] (now [[Mumbai]]), [[India]] by [[Himanshu Rai]] and [[Devika Rani]] along with businessmen like F.E.Dinhsaw, Sir Firoze Sethna and others <ref>[http://www.roerich.kar.nic.in/devika_rani.htm Devika Rani Biography] Devika Rani Roerich Estate Board.</ref>, with [[Franz Osten]] and [[Niranjan Pal]] as its first full-time filmmakers. |
'''The Bombay Talkies Limited''' (commonly known as '''Bombay Talkies''') was a [[movie studio]], founded in 1934 <ref>[http://sdsd.essortment.com/bombaytalkies_riwe.htm Bombay Talkies heroes] Bombay Talkies History</ref> in [[Malad]], [[Bombay]] (now [[Mumbai]]), [[India]] by [[Himanshu Rai and Rajnarayan Dube]] and [[Devika Rani]] along with businessmen like F.E.Dinhsaw, Sir Firoze Sethna and others <ref>[http://www.roerich.kar.nic.in/devika_rani.htm Devika Rani Biography] Devika Rani Roerich Estate Board.</ref>, with [[Franz Osten]] and [[Niranjan Pal]] as its first full-time filmmakers. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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*1936: [[Jeevan Naiya]], Ashok Kumar’s debut movie; another famous movie [[Achhut Kanya]] produced |
*1936: [[Jeevan Naiya]], Ashok Kumar’s debut movie; another famous movie [[Achhut Kanya]] produced |
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*1940: Death of Himanshu Rai, the founder of the Bombay Talkies |
*1940: Death of Himanshu Rai, the founder of the Bombay Talkies |
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*1941: Death of Rajnarayan Dube, the founder of the Bombay Talkies |
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*1942: [[Madhubala]]’s debut as a child artist named ''Baby Mumtaz'' in the movie Basant. |
*1942: [[Madhubala]]’s debut as a child artist named ''Baby Mumtaz'' in the movie Basant. |
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*1943: ''[[Kismet (1943 film)| Kismet]]'' , a successful thriller |
*1943: ''[[Kismet (1943 film)| Kismet]]'' , a successful thriller |
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Revision as of 12:12, 8 October 2010
The Bombay Talkies Limited (commonly known as Bombay Talkies) was a movie studio, founded in 1934 [1] in Malad, Bombay (now Mumbai), India by Himanshu Rai and Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani along with businessmen like F.E.Dinhsaw, Sir Firoze Sethna and others [2], with Franz Osten and Niranjan Pal as its first full-time filmmakers.
History
It was a high-tech movie studio 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 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 [3].
On account of its association with European 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, Ashok Kumar and Raj Kapoor. Bombay Talkies also gave a new dimension to themes of films, and produced films on controversial topics like the story of love (Achhut Kanya) between an Untouchable girl and a high caste Hindu Brahmin 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 (1936), a romantic movie starring Devika Rani and Ashok Kumar.
After the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Bombay Talkies faced a number of problems, resulting in a nervous breakdown and subsequent demise of Himanshu Rai ,the founder and key figure of the studio.Rajnarayan Dube,the another key figure of the studio played an very important role during this period by giving financial support (Rs. 41,000/-) to Himanshu Rai. The control of the film company passed on to his wife, 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 and Dilip Kumar.
Soon a rift arose between Devika Rani and her business partners, Sashadhar Mukherjee and Ashok Kumar were part of the rival camp. They tried alternating production between the two camps but enventually Sashadhar broke away to form Filmistan, resulting in the decline and eventual failure of the studio. Ashok Kumar with his brother in law Sashadhar purchased the studio after Devika Rani left it and tried to revive it, making the hit film Mahal in 1949, but eventually the company closed down 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 (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. Aghjani would subsequently team up with Sashadhar Mukherjee who founded Filmalaya Studio, and write several movies for him, including Love in Simla, in which Aghajani introduced Sashadhar's son, Joy Mukherjee in his very first role as a hero.
Currently, the premises of the Bombay Talkies are in a dilapidated state, and have lost the pristine glory which they once commanded. Today, many small-scale Cottage industries are run in the compound [4].
Timelines
- 1934: The Bombay Talkies conceived and established
- 1935: Jawani ki Hawa, a thriller, starring Devika Rani
- 1936: Jeevan Naiya, Ashok Kumar’s debut movie; another famous movie Achhut Kanya produced
- 1940: Death of Himanshu Rai, the founder of the Bombay Talkies
- 1941: Death of Rajnarayan Dube, the founder of the Bombay Talkies
- 1942: Madhubala’s debut as a child artist named Baby Mumtaz in the movie Basant.
- 1943: Kismet , a successful thriller
- 1945: Devika Rani marries and moves away from films and production
- 1948: Ziddi Dev Anands first hit
- 1949: Mahal, a successful hit by the "new management" of old timers Ashok Kumar and Sashadhar.
- 1954: The Bombay Talkies was closed down
Trivia
- The Bombay Talkies arranged a special screening of their controversial film Achhut Kanya (1936) for Jawaharlal Nehru, who became the first Prime Minister of India in 1947.
- Kismet , 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.
Further reading
- Franz Osten and the Bombay Talkies: Journey from Munich to Malad by Amrita Ganger (Max Mueller Bhavan, Bombay, 2001)
References
- ^ Bombay Talkies heroes Bombay Talkies History
- ^ Devika Rani Biography Devika Rani Roerich Estate Board.
- ^ Himanshu Rai Biography Lumiaries at Upperstall.
- ^ Times of India 16 Dec 2007.