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Devika Rani
Portrait of a woman smiling at the camera
Rani inNirmala(1938)
Born
Devika Rani Chaudhuri

(1908-03-30)30 March 1908
Vizagapatam,Madras Presidency,British India(present-dayVisakhapatnam,Andhra Pradesh,India)
Died9 March 1994(1994-03-09)(aged 85)
Bangalore,Karnataka,India
Other namesDevika Rani Roerich
Occupation(s)Textile designer, fashion designer, actress
Years active1928–1943
Spouses
AwardsDadasaheb Phalke Awardin (1969)
HonoursPadma Shriin (1958)
Signature

Devika Rani Chaudhuri(30 March 1908 – 9 March 1994), usually known asDevika Rani,was an Indian actress who was active inHindi filmsduring the 1930s and 1940s. She was the first recipient of theDadasaheb Phalke Award,and was also awarded thePadma Shri.Widely acknowledged as the First Lady ofIndian Cinema,Devika Rani had a successful film career that spanned 10 years.

Born into a wealthy, anglicized Indian family, Devika Rani was sent to boarding school in England at age nine and grew up in that country. In 1928, she metHimanshu Rai,an Indian film-producer, and married him the following year. She assisted in costume design and art direction for Rai's experimental silent filmA Throw of Dice(1929).[a]Both of them then went to Germany and received training in film-making atUFA StudiosinBerlin.Rai then cast himself as hero and her as heroine in his next production, the bilingual filmKarma,made simultaneously in English and Hindi. The film premiered in England in 1933, elicited interest there for a prolonged kissing scene featuring the real-life couple, and flopped badly in India. The couple returned to Bombay, India in 1934, where Himanshu Rai established a production studio,Bombay Talkies,in partnership with certain other people. They changed their studio name. The studio produced several successful films over the next 5–6 years in that time of period, and Devika Rani played the lead role in many of them. Her on-screen pairing withAshok Kumarbecame popular in India.

Following Rai's death in 1940, Devika Rani took control of the studio and produced some more films in partnership with her late husband's associates, namelySashadhar MukherjeeandAshok Kumar.As she was to recollect in her old age, the films which she supervised tended to flop Or average hit, while the films supervised by the partners tended to be hits. In 1945, she retired from films, married the Russian painterSvetoslav Roerichand moved to his estate on the outskirts of Bangalore, thereafter leading a very reclusive life for the next five decades. Her persona, no less than her film roles, were considered socially unconventional. Her awards include thePadma Shri(1958),Dadasaheb Phalke Award(1969) and the Soviet Land Nehru Award (1990).

Background and education

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Devika Rani was born as Devika Rani Choudhury on 30 March 1908 inWaltairnearVisakhapatnamin present-dayAndhra Pradesh,into an extremely affluent and educatedBengalifamily, the daughter of Col. Dr. Manmathnath Choudhury by his wife Leela Devi Choudhury.

Rabindranath Tagore in 1931 with Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai

Devika's father,ColonelManmatha Nath Chaudhuri, scion of a large landowningzamindarifamily, was the first Indian Surgeon-General ofMadras Presidency.Devika's paternal grandfather, Durgadas Choudhury, was theZamindar(landlord) ofChatmohar UpazilaofPabnadistrict of present-dayBangladesh.Her paternal grandmother, Sukumari Devi (wife of Durgadas), was a sister of the nobel laureateRabindranath Tagore.[3][4][5]Devika's father had five brothers, all of them distinguished in their own fields, mainly law, medicine and literature. They wereSirAshutosh Chaudhuri, Chief Justice ofCalcutta High Courtduring theBritish Raj;Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri and Kumudnath Chaudhuri, both prominentKolkata-basedbarristers;Pramathanath Choudhary,the famousBengaliwriter, and Dr. Suhridnath Chaudhuri, a noted medical practitioner.[6]The futureChief of Army Staff,Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri,was Devika's first cousin: their fathers were brothers to each other.

Devika's mother, Leela Devi Choudhury, also came from an equally educated family and was a niece ofRabindranath Tagore.Thus, Devika Rani was related through both her parents to the poet andNobel 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 sister of the Nobel laureate. Thus, Devika's father and maternal grandmother were first cousins to each other, being the children of two sisters of Rabindranath Tagore.[7]Nor was this all: Two of Devika's uncles (Chief JusticeSirAshutosh 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 of Hemendranath Tagore, and Indira Devi Choudhury, wife of Pramathanath Choudhury, was the daughter of Satyendranath Tagore.[8]Devika thus had extremely strong family ties toJarasanko,seat of the Tagore family in Kolkata and a major crucible of theBengali Renaissance.

Devika Rani was sent to boarding school in England at the age of nine, and grew up there. After completing her schooling in the mid-1920s,[9]she enrolled in theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art(RADA) and theRoyal Academy of MusicinLondonto study acting and music.[4][10]She also enrolled for courses inarchitecture,textile and decor design, and even apprenticed underElizabeth Arden.All of these courses, each of them a few months long, were completed by 1927, and Devika Rani then took up a job in textile design.[11]

Career

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In 1928, Devika Rani first met her future husband,Himanshu Rai,an Indian barrister-turned-film maker, who was in London preparing to shoot his forthcoming filmA Throw of Dice.[a][10][12]Rai was impressed with Devika's "exceptional skills" and invited her to join the production team of the film, although not as an actress.[13]She readily agreed, assisting him in areas such as costume designing and art direction.[14]The two also traveled to Germany for the post-production work, where she had occasion to observe the film-making techniques of theGerman film industry,specifically ofG. W. PabstandFritz Lang.[13]Inspired by their methods of film-making, she enrolled for a short film-making course atUniversum Film AGstudio inBerlin.[13]Devika Rani learnt various aspects of film-making and also took a special course in film acting.[10]Around this time, they both acted in a play together, for which they received many accolades in Switzerland and theScandinavian countries.During this time she was also trained in the production unit ofMax Reinhardt,an Austrian theatre director.[15]

In 1929, shortly after the release ofA Throw of Dice,Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai were married.[13]

Acting debut

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Devika Rani is seen sharing a full-mouth kiss with Himanshu Rai, with the former lying on the top.
Devika Rani kissingHimanshu RaiinKarma(1933).
Devika Rani inVachan(1938)

Devika and Himanshu Rai returned to India, where Himanshu produced a film titledKarma(1933). The film was his first talkie, and like his previous films, it was a joint production between people from India, Germany and the United Kingdom. Rai, who played the lead role, decided to cast Devika Rani as the female lead, and this marked her acting debut.Karmais credited as having been the firstEnglish languagetalkie made by an Indian. It was one of the earliest Indian films to feature a kissing scene.[16]The kissing scene, involving Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani, lasted for about four minutes,[17]and eighty years later, this stands as the record for duration of a kissing scene in Indian cinema as of 2014.[18][19]Devika Rani also sang a song in the film, a bi-lingual song in English and Hindi. This song is said to beBollywood's first English song.[20][21]

Devika inAnjaan(1941)

Made simultaneously in both English and Hindi,Karmapremiered in London in May 1933. Alongside a special screening for theRoyal familyat Windsor, the film was well received throughout Europe.[22]Devika Rani's performance was internationally acclaimed as she won "rave reviews" in theLondon media.[13]A critic fromThe Daily Telegraphnoted Devika Rani for her "beauty" and "charm" while also crediting her to be a "potential star of the first magnitude".[22]Following the release of the film, she was invited by theBBCto enact a role in their first ever television broadcast in Britain in 1933. She also inaugurated the company's first short wave radio transmission to India.[23]In spite of its success in England,Karmadid not interest Indian audiences and turned out be a failure in India when it was released in Hindi asNagin Ki Raginiin early 1934. However, the film received good critical response and helped Devika Rani establish herself as a leading actress in Indian cinema. Indian independence activist and poetSarojini Naiducalled her a "lovely and gifted little lady".[22]

Bombay Talkies

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After the critical success ofKarma,the couple returned to India in 1934. Although the Hindi version of the film, released in India in 1934, flopped without a trace, Himanshu Rai had established the required networks in Europe, and was able to start a film studio namedBombay Talkies,partnering withNiranjan Pal,a Bengali playwright and screenwriter who he had met previously in London[5]andFranz Osten,who directed several of Rai's films.[24]

Upon inception,Bombay Talkieswas one of the "best-equipped" film studios in the country. The studio would serve as a launch pad for future actors includingDilip Kumar,Leela Chitnis,Madhubala,Raj Kapoor,Ashok KumarandMumtaz.[25]The studio's first filmJawani Ki Hawa(1935), acrime thriller,[26]starring Devika Rani and Najm-ul-Hassan, was shot fully on a train.[13]

Elopement

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Najm-ul-Hassan was also Devika's co-star in the studio's next venture,Jeevan Naiya.The two co-stars developed a romantic relationship, and during the shooting schedule ofJeevan Naiya,Devika eloped with Hassan. Himanshu was both enraged and distraught. Since the leading pair were absent, production was stalled. A significant portion of the movie had been shot and a large sum of money, which had been taken as credit from financers, had been spent. The studio therefore suffered severe financial losses and a loss of credit among bankers in the city while the runaway couple made merry.

Sashadhar Mukherjee,an assistant sound-engineer at the studio, had a brotherly bond with Devika Rani because both of them wereBengalisand spokethat languagewith each other. He established contact with the runaway couple and managed to convince Devika Rani to return to her husband. In the India of that era, divorce was legally almost impossible and women who eloped were regarded as no better than prostitutes and were shunned by their own families. In her heart of hearts, Devika Rani knew that she could not secure a divorce or marry Hassan under any circumstances. She negotiated with her husband through the auspices of Sashadhar Mukherjee, seeking the separation of her finances from those of her husband as a condition for her return. Henceforth, she would be paid separately for working in his films, but he would be required to single-handedly pay the household expenses for the home in which both of them would live. Himanshu agreed to this, in order to save face in society and to prevent his studio from going bankrupt. Devika Rani returned to her marital home. However, things would never be the same between husband and wife again, and it is said that thenceforth, their relationship was largely confined to work and little or no intimacy transpired between them after this episode.

Despite the additional expense involved in re-shooting many portions of the film, Himanshu Rai replaced Najm-ul-Hassan withAshok Kumar,who was the brother ofSashadhar Mukherjee's wife, as the hero ofJeevan Naiya.This marked the debut, improbable as it may seem, of Ashok Kumar's six-decade-long career in Hindi films. Najm-ul-Hassan was dismissed from his job at Bombay Talkies (this was the period in which actors and actresses were paid regular monthly salaries by one specific film studio and could not work in any other studio). His reputation as a dangerous cad established, he could not find work in any other studio. His career was ruined and he sank into obscurity.[27]

Golden era of Bombay Talkies

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Rani with her frequent co-starAshok Kumar,inAchhut Kannya(1936).

Achhut Kannya(1936), the studio's next production was a tragedy drama that had Devika Rani and Ashok Kumar portraying the roles of anuntouchablegirl and aBrahminboy who fall in love.[28]The film is considered a "landmark" in Indian cinema as it challenged thecaste system in the country.The casting of Devika Rani was considered a mismatch as her looks did not match the role of a poor untouchable girl by virtue of her "upper-class upbringing".[29]However, her pairing with Ashok Kumar became popular and they went on to star in as many as ten films together with most of them being Bombay Talkies productions.[13][28]

In the 1930s, Bombay Talkies produced several women-centric films with Devika Rani playing the lead role in all of them. In majority of the films produced by the studio, she was paired opposite Ashok Kumar, who was "overshadowed" by her.[30]Jeevan Prabhat,released in 1937, saw a role-reversal between Devika Rani and Ashok Kumar—she played a higher-caste Brahmin woman who is mistaken by society of having an extra-marital affair with an untouchable man. Her next releaseIzzat(1937), based onRomeo and Juliet,was set in the medieval period and depicted two lovers belonging to enemy clans of a Maratha empire.[28]Nirmala,released in the following year, dealt with the plight of a child-less woman who is told by an astrologer to abandon her husband to ensure successful pregnancy.[28]InVachan,her second release of the year, she played aRajputprincess.[31]Durga,her only release in 1939, was a romantic drama that told the story of an orphaned girl and a village doctor, played by Ashok Kumar.[13][32]

Widowhood and studio decline

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Following the death of Rai in 1940, there was a rift between two parties of the Bombay Talkies led by Mukherjee andAmiya Chakravarty.[33]Devika Rani assumed principal responsibility and took over the studio along with Mukherjee. In 1941, she produced and acted inAnjaanco-starring Ashok Kumar. In the subsequent years, she produced two successful films under the studio—BasantandKismet.Basant Kismet(1943) contained anti-British messages (India was under British rule at that time) and turned out to be a "record-breaking" film.[34]Devika Rani made her last film appearance inHamari Baat(1943), which had Raj Kapoor playing a small role.

She handpicked newcomerDilip Kumarfor a role inJwar Bhata(1944), produced by her on behalf of the studio. An internal politics that arose in the studio led prominent personalities including Mukherjee and Ashok Kumar to part ways with her and set up a new studio calledFilmistan.[34]Due to lack of support and interest, she decided to quit the film industry. In an interview to journalist Raju Bharatan, she mentioned that her idea of not willing to compromise on "artistic values" of film-making as one of the major reasons for her quitting the industry.[35]

Retirement

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Following her retirement from films, Devika Rani married Russian painterSvetoslav Roerich,son of Russian artistNicholas Roerich,in 1945. After marriage, the couple moved toManali,Himachal Pradeshwhere they got acquainted with theNehru family.During her stay in Manali, Devika Rani made a few documentaries on wildlife. After staying in Manali for some years, they moved toBangalore,Karnataka,and settled there managing an export company.[36]The couple bought a 450 acres (1,800,000 m2) estate on the outskirts of the city and led a solitary life for the remainder of their lives.[13][37]

Death

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She died ofbronchitison 9 March 1994—a year after Roerich died—in Bangalore.[38][39]At her funeral, Devika Rani was given full state honors.[40]Following her death, the estate was on litigation for many years as the couple had no legal claimants; Devika Rani remained childless throughout her life. In August 2011, theGovernment of Karnatakaacquired the estate after theSupreme Court of Indiapassed the verdict in favour of them.[37][41]

Legacy

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Devika Rani on a 2011 stamp of India

Devika Rani was called the first lady of Indian cinema.[25][42][43]She is credited for being one of the earliest personalities who took the position of Indian cinema toglobal standards.[44]Her films were mostly tragic romantic dramas that contained social themes.[30]The roles played by her in films of Bombay Talkies usually involved in romantic relationship with men who were unusual for the social norms prevailing in the society at that time, mainly for their caste background or community identity.[28]Rani was highly influenced by the German cinema by virtue of her training at the UFA Studios;[42]

Although she was influenced by German actressMarlene Dietrich,[25]her acting style was compared toGreta Garbo,[40]thus leading to Devika Rani being named the "Indian Garbo".[45][46]

Rani's attire, both in films and sometimes in real life, were considered "risque" at that time.[47]In his bookBless You Bollywood!: A tribute to Hindi Cinema on completing 100 years,Tilak Rishi mentions that Devika Rani was known as the "Dragon Lady" for her "smoking, drinking, cursing and hot temper".[48]

In 1958, theGovernment of Indiahonoured Devika Rani with aPadma Shri,the country's fourth highest civilian honour. She became the first ever recipient of theDadasaheb Phalke Award,the country's highest award for films, when it was instituted in 1969.[40][49]

In 1990,Soviet Russiahonoured her with the "Soviet Land Nehru Award".[50]

A postage stamp commemorating her life was released by theMinistry of Communications and Information Technologyin February 2011.[51]

In 2020,Kishwar Desaipublished a book titledThe Longest Kiss: The Life and Times of Devika Rani,which sheds light on Devika Rani's professional accomplishments and her personal misfortunes.[52][53]

Filmography

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Family tree

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Main article:Tagore_family § Family_tree

Notes

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  1. ^abA Throw of Dicewas alternately known asPrapancha Pashin India.[2]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^Himanshu Rai — The Boss of Bombay Talkies and his two wives
  2. ^Papamichael, Stella (24 August 2007)."A Throw Of Dice (Prapancha Pash) (2007)".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on 15 March 2015.Retrieved29 April2014.
  3. ^"B-town women who dared!".Hindustan Times.Archived fromthe originalon 29 April 2014.Retrieved28 April2014.
  4. ^abErik 1980,p. 93.
  5. ^ab"Devika Rani"(PDF).Press Information Bureau.p. 1.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2 February 2014.Retrieved8 April2014.
  6. ^Paul, Samar (17 March 2012)."Pramatha Chaudhury's home: Our responsibility".The Financial Express.Archivedfrom the original on 8 April 2014.Retrieved8 April2014.
  7. ^"Tagore family".Archived fromthe originalon 13 May 2015.Retrieved9 December2014.
  8. ^Tagore familyArchived24 October 2014 at theWayback Machine
  9. ^Rogowski 2010,p. 168.
  10. ^abc"Devika Rani Roerich".Roerich & DevikaRani Roerich Estate Board,Government of Karnataka.Retrieved8 April2014.
  11. ^Ghosh 1995,pp. 28–29.
  12. ^Ghosh 1995,p. 29.
  13. ^abcdefghiVarma, Madhulika (26 March 1994)."Obituary: Devika Rani".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 9 April 2014.Retrieved8 April2014.
  14. ^Gulzar, Nihalani & Chatterjee 2003,p. 545.
  15. ^Patel 2012,p. 19.
  16. ^"Karma 1933".The Hindu.10 January 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 8 April 2014.Retrieved13 April2014.
  17. ^Jaikumar 2006,p. 229.
  18. ^Barrass, Natalie (14 April 2014)."In bed with Bollywood: sex and censorship in Indian cinema".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 29 April 2014.Retrieved28 April2014.
  19. ^Dasgupta, Priyanka (30 April 2012)."India's longest kissing scene clips in Paoli film".The Times of India.Archivedfrom the original on 25 April 2014.Retrieved28 April2014.
  20. ^Ranchan 2014,p. 42.
  21. ^Chakravarty, Riya (3 May 2013)."Indian cinema@100: 40 Firsts in Indian cinema".NDTV.Archivedfrom the original on 4 May 2013.Retrieved6 May2014.
  22. ^abc"Pathbreaker by Karma".The Hindu.10 January 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 13 April 2014.Retrieved13 April2014.
  23. ^"Top heroines of Bollywood".India Today.Archivedfrom the original on 7 January 2014.Retrieved13 April2014.
  24. ^Manjapra 2014,p. 239.
  25. ^abcKohli, Suresh (15 April 2014)."Indian cinema's prima donna".Deccan Herald.Archivedfrom the original on 16 April 2014.Retrieved15 April2014.
  26. ^Hardy 1997,p. 180.
  27. ^Manṭo 2003,pp. 244–245.
  28. ^abcdeManjapra 2014,p. 270.
  29. ^Majumdar 2009,p. 88.
  30. ^abManjapra 2014,p. 271.
  31. ^Patel 2012,p. 23.
  32. ^Baghdadi & Rao 1995,p. 353.
  33. ^Patel 2012,p. 27.
  34. ^abPatel 2012,p. 24.
  35. ^Patel 2012,pp. 24–25.
  36. ^Patel 2012,p. 25.
  37. ^abKharegat, Pheroze (20 August 2011)."The Sad Saga of Roerich Treasures".The Navhind Times.Archived fromthe originalon 16 April 2014.Retrieved15 April2014.
  38. ^"The Rediff Special/M D Riti".4 October 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 20 October 2012.Retrieved28 April2014.
  39. ^"Devika Rani Roerich".Sarasota Herald-Tribune.11 March 1994.Retrieved28 April2014.
  40. ^abcKaur 2013,p. 12.
  41. ^Rohith B. R. (19 February 2014)."Roerichs' Tataguni estate to get a new life".The Times of India.Archivedfrom the original on 21 February 2014.Retrieved15 April2014.
  42. ^abRogowski 2010,p. 169.
  43. ^Rishi 2012,p. 98.
  44. ^Manjapra 2014,pp. 258.
  45. ^Imprint 1973,p. 31.
  46. ^"The Indian Garbo".Hindustan Times.30 May 2003. Archived fromthe originalon 29 April 2014.Retrieved29 April2014.
  47. ^Manjapra 2014,pp. 270–271.
  48. ^Rishi 2012,p. 112.
  49. ^"Dadasaheb Phalke Awards".Directorate of Film Festivals.Archived fromthe originalon 27 April 2014.Retrieved14 April2014.
  50. ^"Eye catchers".India Today.15 February 1990.Archivedfrom the original on 2 May 2014.
  51. ^"Stamps 2011".Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (India). Archived fromthe originalon 18 May 2012.Retrieved14 April2014.
  52. ^"'The Longest Kiss' sheds light on Devika Rani's life kept away from world".Malayala Manorama.22 December 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  53. ^"Review: The Longest Kiss; The Life and Times of Devika Rani by Kishwar Desai".Hindustan Times.20 August 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2022.

Bibliography

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