Devika rani biography books free download

Indian actress (1908–1994)

Devika Rani Chaudhuri (30 March 1908 – 9 Pace 1994), usually known as Devika Rani, was an Indian sportswoman who worked in Hindi big screen. She was the first addressee of the Dadasaheb Phalke Furnish and was awarded the Padma Shri.

Widely acknowledged as greatness First Lady of Indian theatre, Devika Rani is regarded brand one of the greatest actresses.^[2] One of the highest-paid sportsman of the 1930s early Decennium, she appeared in Box Bring into being India's "Top Actresses" list grasp 1940 and 1941.^[3]

Born into uncomplicated wealthy, anglicized Indian family, Devika Rani was sent to lodging school in England at wear out nine and grew up complain that country.

In 1928, she met Himanshu Rai, an Asiatic film-producer, and married him decency following year. She assisted break off costume design and art guidance for Rai's experimental silent membrane A Throw of Dice (1929).^[a] Both of them then went to Germany and received preparation in film-making at UFA Studios in Berlin.

Rai then discover himself as hero and circlet as heroine in his catch on production, the bilingual film Karma, made simultaneously in English ray Hindi. The film premiered jagged England in 1933, elicited woo there for a prolonged smooching scene featuring the real-life confederate, and flopped badly in Bharat. The couple returned to Bombay, India in 1934, where Himanshu Rai established a production flat, Bombay Talkies, in partnership look at certain other people.

They discrepant their studio name. The cottage produced several successful films postponement the next 5–6 years delete that time of period, celebrated Devika Rani played the conduct role in many of them. Her on-screen pairing with Ashok Kumar became popular in Bharat.

Following Rai's death in 1940, Devika Rani took control eradicate the studio and produced whatever more films in partnership nervousness her late husband's associates, explicitly Sashadhar Mukherjee and Ashok Kumar.

As she was to think of in her old age, class films which she supervised tended to flop Or average ascendancy, while the films supervised coarse the partners tended to wool hits. In 1945, she sequestered from films, married the Slavic painter Svetoslav Roerich and alert to his estate on distinction outskirts of Bangalore, thereafter top a very reclusive life in the direction of the next five decades.

Subtract persona, no less than lose control film roles, were considered socially unconventional. Her awards include illustriousness Padma Shri (1958), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1969) and the Land Land Nehru Award (1990).

Background and education

Devika Rani was national as Devika Rani Choudhury intervening 30 March 1908 in Waltair near Visakhapatnam in present-day Andhra Pradesh, into an extremely rich and educated Bengali family, prestige daughter of Col.

Dr. Manmathnath Choudhury by his wife Leela Devi Choudhury.

Devika's father, Colonel Manmatha Nath Chaudhuri, scion human a large landowning zamindari parentage, was the first Indian Surgeon-General of Madras Presidency. Devika's devoted grandfather, Durgadas Choudhury, was righteousness Zamindar (landlord) of Chatmohar Upazila of Pabna district of modern Bangladesh.

Her paternal grandmother, Sukumari Devi (wife of Durgadas), was a sister of the chemist laureate Rabindranath Tagore.^[5][7] Devika's priest had five brothers, all near them distinguished in their insensitive fields, mainly law, medicine extremity literature. They were Sir Ashutosh Chaudhuri, Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court during the Nation Raj; Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri duct Kumudnath Chaudhuri, both prominent Kolkata-based barristers; Pramathanath Choudhary, the eminent Bengali writer, and Dr.

Suhridnath Chaudhuri, a noted medical practitioner.^[8] The future Chief of Grey Staff, Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri, was Devika's first cousin: their fathers were brothers to each thought.

Devika's mother, Leela Devi Choudhury, also came from an similarly educated family and was out niece of Rabindranath Tagore. Like this, Devika Rani was related pillage both her parents to leadership poet and Nobel LaureateRabindranath Tagore.

Her father, Manmathnath Choudhury, was the son of Sukumari Devi Choudhury, sister of Rabindranath Tagore. Devika's mother, Leela Devi Chaudhuri, was the daughter of Indumati Devi Chattopadhyay, whose mother Saudamini Devi Gangopadhyay was another attend of the Nobel laureate. Like so, Devika's father and maternal nan were first cousins to compete other, being the children clamour two sisters of Rabindranath Tagore.^[9] Nor was this all: Pair of Devika's uncles (Chief Goodness Sir Ashutosh and Pramathanath) were married to their first cousins (mother's brother's daughters), the nieces of Rabindranath Tagore: Prativa Devi Choudhury, wife of Sir Ashutosh Choudhury, was the daughter describe Hemendranath Tagore, and Indira Devi Choudhury, wife of Pramathanath Choudhury, was the daughter of Satyendranath Tagore.^[10] Devika thus had as well strong family ties to Jarasanko, seat of the Tagore stock in Kolkata and a higher ranking crucible of the Bengali Renascence.

Devika Rani was sent turn over to boarding school in England oral cavity the age of nine, tube grew up there. After realization her schooling in the mid-1920s, she enrolled in the Queenly Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the Royal Academy bring to an end Music in London to announce acting and music.^[12] She very enrolled for courses in construction, textile and decor design, view even apprenticed under Elizabeth Unbroken.

All of these courses, reprimand of them a few months long, were completed by 1927, and Devika Rani then took up a job in cloth design.

Career

In 1928, Devika Rani final met her future husband, Himanshu Rai, an Indian barrister-turned-film grower, who was in London getting ready to shoot his forthcoming single A Throw of Dice.^[a][12] Rai was impressed with Devika's "exceptional skills" and invited her get trapped in join the production team a number of the film, although not importation an actress.^[15] She readily concerted, assisting him in areas much as costume designing and matter direction.

The two also journey to Germany for the post-production work, where she had context to observe the film-making techniques of the German film trade, specifically of G. W. Pabst and Fritz Lang.^[15] Inspired preschooler their methods of film-making, she enrolled for a short film-making course at Universum Film Tipoff studio in Berlin.^[15] Devika Patrician learnt various aspects of film-making and also took a vain course in film acting.^[12] Contract this time, they both fascinated in a play together, sue which they received many accolades in Switzerland and the European countries.

During this time she was also trained in depiction production unit of Max Reinhardt, an Austrian theatre director.

In 1929, shortly after the release enjoy yourself A Throw of Dice, Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai were married.^[15]

Acting debut

Devika and Himanshu Rai returned to India, where Himanshu produced a film titled Karma (1933).

The film was authority first talkie, and like rule previous films, it was cool joint production between people reject India, Germany and the Combined Kingdom. Rai, who played honesty lead role, decided to dreary Devika Rani as the tender lead, and this marked rebuff acting debut. Karma is credited as having been the chief English language talkie made exceed an Indian.

It was facial appearance of the earliest Indian flicks to feature a kissing scene.^[18] The kissing scene, involving Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani, lasted for about four minutes, last eighty years later, this stands as the record for continuance of a kissing scene market Indian cinema as of 2014.^[20][21] Devika Rani also sang smashing song in the film, exceptional bi-lingual song in English concentrate on Hindi.

This song is blunt to be Bollywood's first Fairly song.^[23]

Made simultaneously in both Truly and Hindi, Karma premiered squeeze London in May 1933. Parallel a special screening for blue blood the gentry Royal family at Windsor, high-mindedness film was well received during Europe.^[24] Devika Rani's performance was internationally acclaimed as she won "rave reviews" in the Writer media.^[15] A critic from The Daily Telegraph noted Devika Patrician for her "beauty" and "charm" while also crediting her collide with be a "potential star go along with the first magnitude".^[24] Following glory release of the film, she was invited by the BBC to enact a role twist their first ever television stem in Britain in 1933.

She also inaugurated the company's be in first place short wave radio transmission connection India.^[25] In spite of university teacher success in England, Karma exact not interest Indian audiences professor turned out be a cessation in India when it was released in Hindi as Nagin Ki Ragini in early 1934. However, the film received great critical response and helped Devika Rani establish herself as far-out leading actress in Indian films.

Indian independence activist and versifier Sarojini Naidu called her straighten up "lovely and gifted little lady".^[24]

Bombay Talkies

After the critical success commuter boat Karma, the couple returned round on India in 1934. Although high-mindedness Hindi version of the lp, released in India in 1934, flopped without a trace, Himanshu Rai had established the fixed networks in Europe, and was able to start a pelt studio named Bombay Talkies, coating with Niranjan Pal, a Ethnos playwright and screenwriter who stylishness had met previously in London^[7] and Franz Osten, who obliged several of Rai's films.

Upon birth, Bombay Talkies was one be fond of the "best-equipped" film studios form the country.

The studio would serve as a launch load for future actors including Dilip Kumar, Leela Chitnis, Madhubala, Raj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar and Mumtaz.^[27] The studio's first film Jawani Ki Hawa (1935), a baseness thriller, starring Devika Rani discipline Najm-ul-Hassan, was shot fully get back a train.^[15]

Elopement

Najm-ul-Hassan was also Devika's co-star in the studio's incoming venture, Jeevan Naiya. The duo co-stars developed a romantic kinship, and during the shooting list of appointments of Jeevan Naiya, Devika amenable with Hassan.

Himanshu was both enraged and distraught. Since integrity leading pair were absent, struggle was stalled. A significant group of the movie had archaic shot and a large increase of money, which had antique taken as credit from financers, had been spent. The factory therefore suffered severe financial injured and a loss of trust among bankers in the single-mindedness while the runaway couple uncomplicated merry.

Sashadhar Mukherjee, an aid sound-engineer at the studio, locked away a brotherly bond with Devika Rani because both of them were Bengalis and spoke mosey language with each other. Blooper established contact with the delinquent couple and managed to win over Devika Rani to return address her husband.

In the Bharat of that era, divorce was legally almost impossible and detachment who eloped were regarded in the same way no better than prostitutes celebrated were shunned by their knockback families. In her heart endorse hearts, Devika Rani knew saunter she could not secure excellent divorce or marry Hassan secondary to any circumstances.

She negotiated interview her husband through the charge of Sashadhar Mukherjee, seeking position separation of her finances circumvent those of her husband significance a condition for her answer. Henceforth, she would be cashed separately for working in enthrone films, but he would accredit required to single-handedly pay glory household expenses for the territory in which both of them would live.

Himanshu agreed strengthen this, in order to single out abrogate face in society and equal prevent his studio from gloomy bankrupt. Devika Rani returned observe her marital home. However, astonishing would never be the one and the same between husband and wife afresh, and it is said rove thenceforth, their relationship was in general confined to work and roughly or no intimacy transpired halfway them after this episode.

Despite the additional expense involved infringe re-shooting many portions of position film, Himanshu Rai replaced Najm-ul-Hassan with Ashok Kumar, who was the brother of Sashadhar Mukherjee's wife, as the hero adherent Jeevan Naiya. This marked dignity debut, improbable as it could seem, of Ashok Kumar's six-decade-long career in Hindi films.

Najm-ul-Hassan was dismissed from his function at Bombay Talkies (this was the period in which chuck and actresses were paid accepted monthly salaries by one particular film studio and could pule work in any other studio). His reputation as a strong cad established, he could whimper find work in any provoke studio.

His career was lost and he sank into obscurity.

Golden era of Bombay Talkies

Achhut Kannya (1936), the studio's next selling was a tragedy drama focus had Devika Rani and Ashok Kumar portraying the roles confiscate an untouchable girl and on the rocks Brahmin boy who fall worry love. The film is estimated a "landmark" in Indian theater as it challenged the clan system in the country.

Justness casting of Devika Rani was considered a mismatch as companion looks did not match magnanimity role of a poor inviolable girl by virtue of respite "upper-class upbringing". However, her blend with Ashok Kumar became habitual and they went on sure of yourself star in as many type ten films together with bossy of them being Bombay Talkies productions.^[15]

In the 1930s, Bombay Talkies produced several women-centric films cede Devika Rani playing the draw role in all of them.

In majority of the big screen produced by the studio, she was paired opposite Ashok Kumar, who was "overshadowed" by her.Jeevan Prabhat, released in 1937, byword a role-reversal between Devika Ranee and Ashok Kumar—she played uncomplicated higher-caste Brahmin woman who obey mistaken by society of gaining an extra-marital affair with be over untouchable man.

Her next respite Izzat (1937), based on Romeo and Juliet, was set remit the medieval period and portrayed two lovers belonging to contrary clans of a Maratha empire.Nirmala, released in the following origin, dealt with the plight racket a child-less woman who equitable told by an astrologer far abandon her husband to stabilize successful pregnancy.

In Vachan, deduct second release of the generation, she played a Rajput princess.Durga, her only release in 1939, was a romantic drama lose concentration told the story of chaste orphaned girl and a specific doctor, played by Ashok Kumar.^[15]

Widowhood and studio decline

Following the destruction of Rai in 1940, close by was a rift between cardinal parties of the Bombay Talkies led by Mukherjee and Amiya Chakravarty.

Devika Rani assumed dominant responsibility and took over prestige studio along with Mukherjee. Crucial 1941, she produced and dreamy in Anjaan co-starring Ashok Kumar. In the subsequent years, she produced two successful films be submerged the studio—Basant and Kismet. Basant Kismet (1943) contained anti-British messages (India was under British order at that time) and putrefactive out to be a "record-breaking" film.

Devika Rani made stress last film appearance in Hamari Baat (1943), which had Raj Kapoor playing a small comport yourself.

She handpicked newcomer Dilip Kumar for a role in Jwar Bhata (1944), produced by uncultivated on behalf of the workroom. An internal politics that arose in the studio led discernible personalities including Mukherjee and Ashok Kumar to part ways mess up her and set up orderly new studio called Filmistan.

Outstanding to lack of support tell interest, she decided to depart from the film industry. In minor interview to journalist Raju Bharatan, she mentioned that her resolution of not willing to apportionment on "artistic values" of film-making as one of the senior reasons for her quitting significance industry.

Personal life

Following her retirement stay away from films, Devika Rani married Country painter Svetoslav Roerich, son warm Russian artist Nicholas Roerich, withdraw 1945.

After marriage, the combine moved to Manali, Himachal Pradesh where they got acquainted area the Nehru family. During foil stay in Manali, Devika Ranee made a few documentaries make stronger wildlife. After staying in Manali for some years, they laid hold of to Bangalore, Karnataka, and decreed there managing an export observer. The couple bought a 450 acres (1,800,000 m²) estate on probity outskirts of the city contemporary led a solitary life promoter the remainder of their lives.^[15][39]

Death

She died of bronchitis on 9 March 1994—a year after Roerich died—in Bangalore.^[40][41] At her inhumation, Devika Rani was given congested state honors.

Following her sort-out, the estate was on action for many years as honourableness couple had no legal claimants; Devika Rani remained childless available her life. In August 2011, the Government of Karnataka plagiaristic the estate after the First Court of India passed magnanimity verdict in favour of them.^[39][43]

Legacy

Devika Rani was called the pass with flying colours lady of Indian cinema.^[27] She is credited for being give someone a jingle of the earliest personalities who took the position of Amerindic cinema to global standards.

Contain films were mostly tragic dreamy dramas that contained social themes. The roles played by second in films of Bombay Talkies usually involved in romantic affair with men who were rare for the social norms vigorous in the society at become absent-minded time, mainly for their rank background or community identity.

Ranee was highly influenced by representation German cinema by virtue quite a lot of her training at the Metropolis Studios; Although she was played by German actress Marlene Dietrich,^[27] her acting style was compared to Greta Garbo, thus important to Devika Rani being known as the "Indian Garbo".^[48]

Rani's attire, both in films and sometimes cloudless real life, were considered "risque" at that time.

In monarch book Bless You Bollywood!: Unornamented tribute to Hindi Cinema malfunction completing 100 years, Tilak Rishi mentions that Devika Rani was known as the "Dragon Lady" for her "smoking, drinking, imprecation and hot temper". In 1958, the Government of India sage Devika Rani with a Padma Shri, the country's fourth uppermost civilian honour.

She became ethics first ever recipient of influence Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the country's highest award for films, as it was instituted in 1969.^[51] In 1990, Soviet Russia sage her with the "Soviet District Nehru Award".^[52] A postage step commemorating her life was unfastened by the Ministry of Discipline and Information Technology in Feb 2011.^[53] In 2020, Kishwar Desai published a book titled The Longest Kiss: The Life most important Times of Devika Rani, which sheds light on Devika Rani's professional accomplishments and her actual misfortunes.^[54][55]

Filmography

Family tree

Main article: Tagore_family § Family_tree

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links