Mumbai, March 30: “Main banke chidiya…” This song instantly evokes memories of the 1930s. The actress who captured hearts alongside Ashok Kumar in the film ‘Achhut Kanya’ was Devika Rani. Known as the first lady superstar of Indian cinema, Devika Rani paved new paths for women in Bollywood during her time. She left her job as a textile engineer to enter the film industry and quickly rose to stardom.
Her story is fascinating. Devika Rani began her career not as an actress but as a costume designer.
Born on March 30, 1908, in the small town of Valtier in the Madras Presidency, her father, Colonel Manmath Nath Chaudhary, served as the Surgeon General of the Madras Presidency. At just nine years old, she was sent to England. After completing her schooling, she studied acting and music at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the Royal Academy of Music. Additionally, she earned degrees in architecture, textiles, and decor design, eventually working as a textile engineer.
In 1928, fate nudged her toward an acting career when she met Himanshu Rai, who was preparing for film production. Impressed by her talent, Himanshu invited her to work on his film ‘A Throw of Dice.’ Devika Rani left her job and joined Himanshu’s production team, not as an actress but as an assistant costume designer and art director.
To learn new filmmaking techniques, the duo traveled to Germany. There, Devika Rani took a film production course at the Universum Film AG studio in Berlin and received specialized training in acting.
As they worked on ‘A Throw of Dice,’ their love story blossomed. Consequently, Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai got married. Upon returning to India in 1933, Himanshu directed the film ‘Karm,’ where Devika Rani played the lead role, marking the beginning of her acting journey. Together, they established the Bombay Talkies studio, with their first film being ‘Jawani Ki Hawa.’ The subsequent film ‘Jeevan Naiya’ marked Ashok Kumar’s entry as an actor alongside Devika Rani.
The 1936 film ‘Achhut Kanya’ elevated Bombay Talkies to new heights. This film delivered a powerful message against social inequality and gained immense popularity. Following this, films like ‘Jeevan Prabhat,’ ‘Izzat,’ ‘Prem Kahani,’ ‘Savitri,’ ‘Nirmala,’ and ‘Vachan’ were released. In 1943, the film ‘Kismat’ achieved tremendous success. Devika Rani was last seen on screen in the 1943 film ‘Hamari Baat.’ The 1944 film ‘Jwar Bhata’ became the last film of Bombay Talkies, marking the debut of Dilip Kumar.
After Himanshu Rai’s passing, internal strife grew within the studio, leading Devika Rani to distance herself from the film industry. She remarried Russian painter Svetoslav Roerich and lived in Manali and Bengaluru. Devika Rani received the Padma Shri in 1958, the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1970, and the Sovietland Nehru Award in 1990. She passed away on March 9, 1994.
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