Himanshu Rai (1892 – 16 May 1940), one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, is best known as the founder of the studio in 1934, along with

Devika Rani Devika Rani Choudhuri (30 March 1908 – 9 March 1994), usually known as Devika Rani, was an Indian actress who was active in Hindi films during the 1930s and 1940s. Widely acknowledged as the first lady of Indian cinema, Devika Rani ha ...

. He was associated with a number of movies, including ''Goddess'' (1922), ''

The Light of Asia ''The Light of Asia'', or ''The Great Renunciation'' (''Mahâbhinishkramana''), is a book by Sir Edwin Arnold. The first edition of the book was published in London in July 1879. In the form of a narrative poem, the book endeavours to describ ...

'' (1925), ''

Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the population of the city was 1,565,572 pe ...

'' (1928), ''

A Throw of Dice ''A Throw of Dice'' (''Prapancha Pash'') is a 1929 silent film by German-born director Franz Osten, based on an episode from the Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. Plot summary The movie is about two kings vying for the love of a hermit's daughter, t ...

'' (1929) and ''Karma'' (1933). He was married to actress

Chaudhuri (1929–1940).Himanshu Rai, the boss of Bombay Talkies, and his two wives
/ref>

Biography

Born into an aristocratic Bengali family, Rai spent several years in Santiniketan for his schooling. After obtaining a law-degree from Kolkata, he went to London to become a barrister. There, he met a playwright and screenwriter

Niranjan Pal Niranjan Pal (17 August 1889 – 9 November 1959) was an Indian playwright, screenwriter, and director in the Indian film industry in the silent and early talkie days. He was a close associate of Himanshu Rai and Franz Osten, with whom he was a ...

. That association led to the making of a film, ''

'', which he co-directed with

Franz Osten Franz Osten (23 December 1876 in Munich – 2 December 1956) was a Bavarian filmmaker who along with Himansu Rai was among the first retainers of Bombay Talkies. Osten partnered with Rai on a number of India's earliest blockbuster films like ...

. Rai was also one of the main actors in this film. While making his third film, ''

Prapancha Pash ''A Throw of Dice'' (''Prapancha Pash'') is a 1929 silent film by German-born director Franz Osten, based on an episode from the Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. Plot summary The movie is about two kings vying for the love of a hermit's daughter, t ...

'', he met and fell in love with

, a great-grandniece of the Nobel Laureate

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

. Before this film was complete, he married her.

Bombay Talkies

At Bombay Talkies studio, Rai partnered with

Sashadhar Mukherjee Sashadhar Mukherjee (29 September 1909 – 3 November 1990) was an Indian filmmaker in Hindi cinema. He started his career with Bombay Talkies in the 1930s, and later established Filmistan Studio with Rai Bahadur Chunilal (father of music direc ...

, and Mukherjee's brother in law worked as a technician in the studio. Due to suspected romantic liaisons between his wife and the leading man
Najmul Hasan
in Jeevan Naiya(film), Himanshu sacked the leading man and cast the gawky and reluctant brother-in-law

Ashok Kumar Kumudlal Ganguly (13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001), better known by his stage name Ashok Kumar and also by Dadamoni, was an Indian actor who attained iconic status in Indian cinema and who was a member of the cinematic Ganguly family. He ...

as the leading man. Kumar went on to have a successful career in films. 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 hit '' Kismet'' 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 and is now a decrepit property in Malad.

Filmography

Producer

* ''Kangan'' (1939) / The Bangle (English title) * '' Izzat'' (1937) * '' Jeevan Prabhat'' (1937) * '' Savitri'' (1937) * '' Achhut Kanya'' (1936) / Untouchable Girl (English title) * '' Janmabhoomi'' (1936) * ''

Jeevan Naiya ''Jeevan Naiya'' is a 1936 Hindi film directed by Franz Osten, and produced by Himanshu Rai for his studio Bombay Talkies. It is famous for being the screen debut early superstar Ashok Kumar. The film is about the ostracism of dancing girls. Th ...

'' (1936) * '' Jawani Ki Hawa'' (1935) / Leichtsinn der Jugend (Germany title) * ''

Karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...

'' (1933) * ''

'' (1929) / A Throw of Dice (English title) / Schicksalswürfel (Germany title) * ''Shiraz'' (1928) / Grabmal einer großen Liebe (Germany title)

Actor

*''Karma'' (1933) *''Prapancha Pash'' (1929) / A Throw of Dice (English title) / Schicksalswürfel (Germany title) *''Shiraz'' (1928) / Grabmal einer großen Liebe (Germany title) *''Prem Sanyas'' (1925) / Leuchte Asiens (Germany title)

Writer

*'' Achhut Kanya'' (1936) / Untouchable Girl (English title)

Director

*''Prem Sanyas'' (1925) / Leuchte Asiens (Germany title)

References

External links

*
Bombay talkies and her forgotten heroesNajam-Ul-Hasan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rai, Himanshu 1892 births 1940 deaths People from Cuttack Bengali Hindus Indian male film actors Film producers from Odisha Male actors in Hindi cinema 20th-century Indian male actors Hindi-language film directors 20th-century Indian film directors Hindi film producers Male actors from Odisha Film directors from Odisha