Kismet (1943) was Bombay Talkies‘ biggest blockbuster that broke all box-office records and runs to packed houses for uninterrupted 3 years at Roxy Theatre in Kolkata! The film introduced the lost and found drama which later became a favorite of Bollywood and it minted gold in the ’70s with films like Waqt (1965), Yaadon ki Baraat (1973), Fakira (1976), Amar…
Indian Cinema witnessed the arrival of ladies in films with Durgabai and Kamlabai Kamat working in lead roles in Dadasaheb Phalke‘s second film, Mohini Bhasmasur (1913). Later many ladies made names in Indian cinema like Sulochana who was termed as the First Lady Super Star of the Silent Era or Fatma Begum the First Female Filmmaker of Indian Cinema. Other…
In the ’30s when Indian Cinema was in its cradle Bombay Talkies brought a revolution in Hindi cinema changing its content, style, and grammar of filmmaking. The huge success of Bombay Talkies‘ second film Achhut Kanya (1936) established it lead actor Ashok Kumar as the loveable heartthrob of cine-buffs. Soon Ashok Kumar delivered a series of super hit films like…
Just as today India has Corporate Film Studio Companies like Yash Raj Films Pvt Ltd, Dharma Productions Pvt Ltd, Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd, Eros International Media Ltd etc likewise Bombay Talkies was India’s First Corporate Film Studio that ruled the 30’s and 40’s and launched top stars like Devika Rani, Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor and others.…
In the late ’50s a Music Director O.P. Nayyar created Hungama in Bollywood with his melodious music. His songs were so melodic that he earned the title of King Of Rhythm. Songs like Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu… Howrah Bridge (1958). Taarif Karoon Kya Uski… Kashmir Ki Kali (1964). Pukarta Chala Hoon Main…. Mere Sanam (1965), Aao Huzoor Tumko…. Kismat…
It’s not just Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon…but lyricist Kavi Pradeep has been an undisputed Monarch of Patriotic Song. He has to his credits many patriotic songs that became a huge hit. For instance, in the ’40s Kavi Pradeep created history when he penned the hit song – Door hatoon aye duniya walo Hindustan hamara hain…. The song played a…
Politics and Bollywood Films have a bond since the inception of Bollywood. Though in the early ’40s, before Independence due to British censorship filmmakers used it in a subtle manner to skip the censor board. Like in the hit film Kismet (1943) the song Door hato aye duniya walon Hindustan Hamara Hai…’ was used to ignite patriotism to join quit…
Bombay Talkies Kismet film popularized double role The movie that made double role a permanent feature in commercial Bollywood film was Kismet (1943). Filmmaker Gyan Mukherjee of Bombay Talkies introduced a unique experimentation of lost and found of identical brothers. The lost and found formula was a big hit in the 60 and 70’s. Remember hit films like Waqt (1965),…
