Achhut Kanya (Hindi: अछूत कन्या)

Achhut Kanya (Hindi: अछूत कन्या) is a 1936 Hindi film by Bombay Talkies. The film was one of several successful Bombay Talkies collaborations between Franz Osten, who was a German filmmaker, Niranjan Pal, Himanshu Rai, and their leading lady, Devika Rani. Ashok Kumar played the male lead. Music was by Saraswati Devi. Among the early super-hits in the Hindi film industry, the film dealt with the social position of low caste girls and the problems they faced.

The film opens at a railway crossing where a man is about to kill his wife when the narrative spins into the past via a song. The story is of the unhappy love affair between Kasturi (Devika Rani), the Harijan (untouchable) daughter of a railway crossing guard, and Pratap (Ashok Kumar), the Brahmin son of a grocer. At first, rumour and mob violence are deployed to lethal effect in order to maintain a traditional and oppressive morality.

Later, when the main protagonists are about to marry, rumours and malicious methods are employed to trigger renewed violence until the on-rushing train of fate stops the strife.
Ashok Kumar & Devika Rani – Khet Ki Muli :  


Ashok Kumar & Devika Rani – Main Ban Ki Chidiya Banke :  



Ashok Kumar – Kise Karta Moorakh Pyar Pyar :  



Ashok Kumar – Peer Peer Kya Kahe Pyare :  



Devika Rani – Udi Hawa Mein Jati Hai :  



Mumtaz Ali & Sunita Devi – Chooriyan Laya Anmol :  



Saraswati Devi – Kit Gaye Ho Khewanhar :  



Kusum Kumari – Nadiya Dheere Baho, Hum Utrat Paar :  

Amrit Manthan (Hindi: अमृत मंथन)

Amrit Manthan (Hindi: अमृत मंथन) is a 1934 Marathi/Hindi film produced by Prabhat Films and directed by V Shantaram. The film starred Chandra Mohan, Nalini Tarkhad, Sureshbabu Mane, Varde, Kelkar and Shanta Apte. The film was the first to use a telephoto lens. The film had a Buddhist theme and its most famous shot was a close-up of a priest’s right eye, something that staggered audiences back then. It was also the first film produced in the new well equipped studio of Prabhat at Pune. The story was based on abolishing the practice of human as well as animal sacrifice to any God or Goddess.

Huge sets and costumes were notable in this film. Chandra Mohan got a break in the Hindi version of this film and became a famous actor. Hindi version of this film was the first Hindi film to celebrate Silver Jubilee. The film was shown at International Film Festival, Venice. Some newspapers in London gave the coverage with the photographs from the film and the studio.

Dushman (Hindi: दुश्मन)

Dushman (Hindi: दुश्मन) is a 1939 Hindi film starring K L Saigal, Leela Desai, Najmul, Prithviraj Kapoor, Nimmo, Devbala and Manorama. The film was directed by Nitin Bose and produced by New Theatres. Music direction was by Pankaj Mullick. The film is remembered for some of the most beautiful songs sung by K L Saigal.K L Saigal – Karoon Kya Aas Niraas Bhayi :  

Not much is available as far as the storyline of the film goes, so I am skipping it this time. Just to remind you, the film may have more songs, but I am posting only those that are available with me.


K L Saigal – Preet Mein Hai Jeevan Jhoko :  



K L Saigal – Pyari Pyari Soorato :  



K L Saigal – Sitam The Zulm The :  

C H Atma

Here are some lingering melodies by the incredible C H Atma. C H Atma’s precise crystal-clear rendering was a salute to K L Saigal’s singing style. Presumably all these songs are non-film ones.

C H Atma – Aayi Jo Unki Yaad :  


C H Atma – Aye Dost Mujhe Ab Yaad Na Kar :  



C H Atma – Bansuriya Kahe Bhaye Sanwariya :  



C H Atma – Bezuban Sapnon Ko :  



C H Atma – Chalo Na Gori Machal Machal Kar :  



Legendary singer, C H Atma made his debut in 1945. He stepped into the world of popular Hindustani music armed with a rich, baritone voice that bore distinct resemblance to the voice of his idol K L Saigal. His film songs were as popular as his non-film Geets and Ghazals. Though C H Atma’s precise crystal-clear rendering was a salute to Saigal’s style, he on his own, succeeded in gathering a strong and ardent band of fans who loved his voice in both his film and non-film repertoires. In fact, C H Atma was perhaps one of the very few singers whose career as a film and non-film singer flourished simultaneously. career as a film and non-film singer flourished simultaneously.
C H Atma – Aaye Sakhi Na Balama (Non-Film) :  



C H Atma – Main Nashe Mein Hoon (Non-Film) :  


C H Atma – Main Ghee Ka Diya Jalaoon (Non-Film) :  


C H Atma – Sawan Ki Badli (Non-Film) :  



C H Atma – Manzil To Hai Badi Door (Bhai Saheb 1954) :  

Kamla Jharia‘

Kamla Jharia‘s real name was Kamla Singh. She lived in the palace of the Maharaja of Jharia (a town in Dhanbad district, coal capital of India). Her parents probably worked in the palace in some capacity. K Mallick, who at the time was a very popular gramophone singer, was invited to the palace to sing at the court of Maharaja Shiv Prasad on the occasion of his marriage. The Maharaja was so pleased with his performance that he appointed him court singer in Jharia. It was here that K Mallick discovered Kamla’s musical talent and brought her to Calcutta and introduced her to HMV authorities.

Kamla Jharia sang in Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati and many other Indian languages. At that time no other artist would sing in so many different languages which explains her all India status and popularity. Her singing career spanned over three decades. In 1976, The Gramophone Company of India honoured her with a Gold Disc, as a mark of lifetime achievement. In 1977, during the celebration of the golden jubilee of All India Radio, she was felicitated as one of the living legends who had taken part right from the beginning of All India Radio. Kamla Jharia suffered from chronic asthma for long and passed away on 20th December, 1979.

Jaddan Bai,

Are Rahul Gandhi, scion of the Nehru/Gandhi family, and actor Sanjay Dutt, son of film stars of yesteryear, Nargis and Sunil Dutt, related to each other? Yes, if you believe IMDB, an Internet Movie Database site, owned by Amazon.com, a Fortune 500 company. Jaddan Bai, mother of Nargis,Brahmin family but was abducted by a group of trained tawaifs. Jaddan Bai was born a Hindu, picked from a mela of dancing girls when she was a child and groomed a tawaif. Though Jaddan was born in Benares, she was brought up in Allahabad. Jaddan Bai, became a disciple of noted Thumri singer Ustad Moijuddin Khan and the equally noted Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, younger brother of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Jaddan Bai became a very famous singer, composer, actress and filmmaker and was a good friend of Mehboob Khan who later became Nargis’s mentor.

was born in Benares, around the year 1900. She was rumoured to be the illegitimate daughter of Motilal Nehru and famous courtesan Daleep Bai. Her mother (before she became a courtesan) hailed from a Jaddan Bai had three children from three different men. The story of the union of Jaddan and Mohanbabu is very interesting. Uttamchand Mohanchand belonged to an orthodox Mohyal Brahmin family of Rawalpindi. He was to go to England to study medicine but heard the voice of Jaddan Bai and fell in love with her. His family refused to accept Jaddan Bai as their daughter-in-law but that did not deter him from marrying her and dedicating his entire life to her. Nargis was named Fatima A Rashid by her father but she later adopted the name Nargis for Hindi movies. Jaddan Bai’s two sons from different men, Akthar Hussain and Anwar Hussain became film directors and actors.