Bombay Talkies
| Company type | Film production company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Indian cinema |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Founder | Himanshu Rai, Niranjan Pal, Devika Rani |
| Defunct | 1953 |
| Headquarters | Malad, Mumbai , India |
Area served | India |
Key people | Himanshu Rai, Devika Rani, Ashok Kumar, Shashadhar Mukherjee |
| Products | Films |
Bombay Talkies was a film production company established in 1934, located in Malad, a suburb of Mumbai, and was responsible for producing 40 movies. The studio was founded by Himanshu Rai, Niranjan Pal (son of Bipin Chandra Pal), and Devika Rani, quickly becoming a major force in Indian cinema. After the death of Rai in 1940, leadership passed to Rani. The prominent actor Ashok Kumar stayed with the studio until 1943, at which point he co-founded Filmistan alongside Shashadhar Mukherjee. Following Rani’s retirement, Kumar and Mukherjee took over the management of Bombay Talkies until its closure in 1953, with its final film released in June 1954.
Early years
During its initial phase, Bombay Talkies stood out as a technologically advanced and well-equipped studio, featuring soundproof shooting stages, laboratories, editing suites, and a screening theater. Its reputation was further bolstered by employing skilled European technicians, most notably Franz Osten.
The studio established new benchmarks in Indian filmmaking through superior technical quality and professionalism that outpaced contemporaneous studios. It was also recognized for tackling bold social issues such as inter-caste relationships, as seen in the film Achhut Kanya.
Devika Rani, regarded as India’s first cinematic diva and one of Bombay Talkies' leading actresses, headlined successful productions like Jawani ki Hawa (1935) and Jeevan Naiya (1936). The studio played a crucial role in launching the careers of several distinguished actors including Rani herself, Ashok Kumar, Leela Chitnis, Mehmood Ali, Madhubala, and Dilip Kumar. Madhubala and Dilip Kumar co-starred in four films together and maintained a long-term secret relationship. Additionally, Raj Kapoor began his career at Bombay Talkies as an assistant director before rising to prominence as a filmmaker.
Success
The onset of World War II in 1939 brought considerable difficulties for the company. Founder Himanshu Rai experienced a mental health crisis and soon passed away. Subsequently, Devika Rani assumed control and became the principal producer at Bombay Talkies. Drawing on her acting background, she preserved the studio’s high production standards and maintained its leadership position within the growing Indian film industry. Significant releases during this era included Kangan and , both featuring Leela Chitnis and Ashok Kumar. In 1943, the film Kismet achieved unprecedented success by running continuously for over three and a half years at the Roxy theater in Calcutta, setting a local box office record.
Decline
Despite Devika Rani’s stewardship, conflicts emerged in 1943 between her and managers Sashadhar Mukherjee and Ashok Kumar. It is reported that Mukherjee and Kumar attempted to create a competing production company using the Bombay Talkies name. Efforts to share major film projects between these two factions faltered amid accusations of sabotage, power struggles, and internal disputes. When negotiations failed, Mukherjee, Kumar, and several others left in 1943 to establish Filmistan. Two years later, Devika Rani married Russian artist Svetoslav Roerich, sold her stake in the company, and retired from filmmaking. After unsuccessful attempts to revive Bombay Talkies, businessman Tolaram Jalan purchased the studio and ultimately shut it down in 1953.
Timeline
- 1934: The foundation of Bombay Talkies is laid.
- 1935: The film Jawani Ki Hawa, featuring Devika Rani, premieres.
- 1936: Notable films released include Jeevan Naiya and Achhut Kanya.
- 1940: The company's founder, Himanshu Rai, passes away.
- 1942: Madhubala makes her debut as the child artist Baby Mumtaz in Basant.
- 1943: The thriller Kismet becomes the highest-earning film, marking the first to earn 1 crore.
- 1944: Dilip Kumar enters the film industry with Jwar Bhata.
- 1948: Ziddi, starring Dev Anand, propels him to fame.
- 1949: The blockbuster Mahal catapults Madhubala to stardom overnight.
- 1954: Bombay Talkies ceases operations.
- 1969: Actress Madhubala dies at the age of 36.
- 1994: Former head Devika Rani passes away in Bangalore.
- 2001: Actor Ashok Kumar dies.
- 2021: Legendary actor Dilip Kumar passes away at 98.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Director | Music director | Cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Jawani Ki Hawa | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Najamul Hussain, Devika Rani |
| 1936 | Achhut Kanya | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Ashok Kumar, Devika Rani |
| 1936 | Janmabhoomi | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Ashok Kumar, Devika Rani |
| 1936 | Jeevan Naiya | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Ashok Kumar, Devika Rani |
| 1936 | Mamta and Miya Biwi | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Devika Rani, Najmul Hussain, J. S. Casshyap |
| 1937 | Izzat | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Ashok Kumar, Devika Rani |
| 1937 | Jeevan Prabhat | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Kishore Sahu, Devika Rani |
| 1937 | Prem Kahani | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Ashok Kumar, Maya Devi |
| 1937 | Savitri | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Ashok Kumar, Devika Rani |
| 1938 | Bhabhi | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Renuka Devi, P Jairaj |
| 1938 | Nirmala | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Ashok Kumar, Devika Rani |
| 1938 | Vachan | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Ashok Kumar, Devika Rani |
| 1939 | Durga | Franz Osten | Saraswati Devi | Devika Rani, Rama Shukul |
| 1939 | Kangan | Franz Osten | 'Saraswati Devi + Ramchandra Paal' | 'Leela Chitnis, Ashok Kumar' |
| '1939' | 'Navjeevan' | 'Franz Osten' | 'Saraswati Devi' | 'Hansa Wadkar, Rama Shukul' |
| '1940' | 'Azad' | 'N R Acharya' | 'Saraswati Devi + Ramchandra Paal' | 'Leela Chitnis, Ashok Kumar' |
| '1940' | 'Bandhan' | 'N. R. Acharya' | 'Saraswati Devi + Ramchandra Paal' | 'Leela Chitnis, Ashok Kumar' |
| '1940' | 'Punar Milan' | 'Najam Naqvi' | 'Ramchandra Paal' | 'Snehprabha, Kishore Sahu' |
| '1941' | 'Anjaan' | 'Amiya Chakrabarty' | 'Pannalal Ghosh' | 'Devika Rani, Ashok Kumar' |
| '1941' | 'Jhoola' | 'Gyan Mukherjee' | 'Saraswati Devi' | 'Leela Chitnis, Ashok Kumar' |
| '1941' | 'Naya Sansar' | 'N. R. Acharya' | 'Saraswati Devi + Ramchandra Paal' | 'Renuka Devi, Ashok Kumar' |
| '1942' | 'Basant' | 'Amiya Chakrabarty' | 'Pannalal Ghosh' | 'Mumtaz Shanti, Ullhas, Madhubala (debut)' |
| '1943' | 'Hamari Baat' | 'M.I. Dharamsey' | 'Anil Biswas' | 'Devika Rani, Jairaj' |
| '1943' | 'Kismat (or Kismet or Qismat)' | 'Gyan Mukherjee' | 'Anil Biswas' | 'Ashok Kumar, Mumtaz Shanti' |
| '1944' | 'Char Ankhen' | 'Sushil Majumdar' | 'Anil Biswas' | 'Jairaj, Leela Chitnis' |
| '1944' | 'Jwar Bhata' | 'Amiya Chakravarty' | 'Anil Biswas' | 'Dilip Kumar (debut), Mrudula, Shamim Bano' |
| '1945' | 'Pratima' | 'Jairaj' | 'Arun Kumar Mukherjee' | 'Dilip Kumar, Swarnalata, Jyoti, Mukri' |
| '1946' | 'Milan' | 'Nitin Bose' | 'Anil Biswas' | "Dilip Kumar, Meera Mishra, Ranjana, Moni Chatterjee" |
| "1947" | "Nateeja" | "Najam Naqvi" | "Rasheed Atre" | "Yaqub, Shamim, Majid Khan" |
| "1947" | "Noukadubi" | "Nitin Bose" | "Anil Biswas" | "Abhi Bhattacharya, Meera Mishra" |
| "1948" | "Majboor" | "Nazir Ajmeri" | "Ghulam Haider" | "Munnawar Sultana, Shyam, Sohan" |
| "1948" | "Ziddi" | "Shaheed Latif" | "Khemchand Prakash" | "Kamini Kaushal, Dev Anand, Veera" |
| "1949" | "Mahal" | "Kamal Amrohi" | "Khemchand Prakash" | "Ashok Kumar, Madhubala, Kumar" |
| "1950" | "Samar" | "Nitin Bose" | "S. D. Burman" | "Sumitra Devi, Ashok Kumar" |
| "1950" | "Sangram" | "Gyan Mukherjee" | "C. Ramchandra" | "Nalini Jaywant, Ashok Kumar, Nawab" |
| "1950" | "Mashaal" | "Nitin Bose" | "S. D. Burman" | "Ashok Kumar, Sumitra Devi, Ruma Devi" |
| "1952" | "Maa" | "Bimal Roy" | "S. K. Pal" | "Bharat Bhushan, Leela Chitnis, Kusum Deshpande, Arun Kumar" |
| "1952" | "Tamasha" | "Phani Majumdar" | "Manna Dey, S. K. Pal, Khemchand Prakash" | "Dev Anand, Meena Kumari, Ashok Kumar" |
| "1954" | "Baadbaan" | "Phani Majumdar" | "Timir Baran, S. K. Pal" | "Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Meena Kumari" |
Additional resources
- Franz Osten and the Bombay Talkies: Journey from Munich to Malad authored by Amrita Ganger (Max Mueller Bhavan, Bombay, 2001)