Osian's Auction Catalogue The Greatest Indian Show On Earth | September 2014

The Greatest Indian Show on Earth Deservedly called the First Lady of Indian Cinema, Devika Rani was great grand neice of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore who was groomed and launched by her mentor, husband and partner Himanshu Rai of Bombay Talkies. She shot to fame with a sensational kiss in her first film KARMA (1933), and went on to become the most famous and powerful actress of the 30s! Directed by N R Acharya, and written by the talented Amiya Chakraborty, BANDHAN was yet another success from Ashok Kumar who was emerging as the new matinee idol. This was the third successive hit of the Ashok- Leela Chitins pair after KANGAN (1939) and AZAAD (also 1940). The film is also famous for its melodious music by Saraswati Devi and Kavi Pradeep’s intelligent lyrics, ‘Chal chal re naujawaan..’ being most famous and still part of the Indian cinematic consciousness. MAHAL represented so many new directions from being acknowledged as Hindi cinema’s first film focussing on the theme of re-incarnation; from being Kamal Amrohi’s directorial debut with Bimal Roy as editor (who in turn later directed Madhumati another great film on re-incarnation) along with propelling Madhubala to stardom and making the playback singer - Lata Mangeshkar - a household name, given the popularity of the famous song Aayega Aane Wala with Khemchand Prakash providing the music, which became a major hit on Akashvani (All India Radio). Ironically it was also the last film produced by the great visionary studio Bombay Talkies, which had once been India’s first public limited film company. 19 Devika Rani in SIGNED PORTRAIT OF DEVIKA RANI.nd Hand signed by Devika Rani on her Portrait Photographic Print / PHO 10.0 x 8.0 in (25.4 x 20.2 cm) Provenance Collection of a Film Historian, Mumbai ` 18,000 – 27,000 US$ 300 – 450 GBP 180 – 270 20 Ashok Kumar & Leela Chitnis in BANDHAN.1940 Directed by N. R. Acharya Re-Release Offset Lobby Card / LBY 10.0 x 12.0 in (25.5 x 30.5 cm) Provenance Private Collector, Mumbai ` 12,000 – 18,000 US$ 200 – 300 GBP 120 – 180 Lot of 10 21 Ashok Kumar & Madhubala in MAHAL.1949 Directed by Kamal Amrohi Re-Release Offset printed Lobby Card / LBY 11.7 x 9.4 in (29.8 x 23.9 cm) Provenance Private Collector, Mumbai ` 24,000 – 36,000 US$ 400 – 600 GBP 240 – 360 Lot of 14 49 BOMBAY TALKIES