Himanshu Rai

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Himanshu Rai (1892-1940), one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, is best known as the founder of the Bombay Talkies in 1934. He was associated with a number of movies, including Goddess (1922), The Light of Asia (1925), Siraj (1926), Throw of a dice (1928), and Karma (1933). He was married to actress Devika Rani.

[edit] Bombay Talkies

He was partners in Bombay Talkies with Sashadhar Mukherjee, and Mukherjee's brother in law worked as a technician in the studio. When due to suspected romantic liasons of his wife and the leading man in one film, Himanshu had to sack the leading man and look for a replacement, he cast the gawky, akward looking and relcutant brother in law as the leading man. The brother in law was Ashok Kumar and he went on to have a very succesful career in films.

After his death, there was a tussle 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 Sashadhar produced the studio's biggest hit to date- Kismet in 1943. Then Sashadhar broke away to form Filmistan in partnership, and Devika Rani did not have as much success with the studion while being fully in charge.

In 1945 Devika Rani married Svetoslav Roerich and moved away from Bombay and films, Ashok Kumar and Sashadhar made a bid to revive Bombay talkies and produced one big hit in Mahal. But eventually the studio shut down and is now just a decreipt property in Malad

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