1925
1.The number of films rose from 11 in 1919, to 88 in 1925.
2.Chandulal Shah started his directing career in films with Vimla for Laxmi Films. He directed two more films before moving to Kohinoor Film Company. He went on to form his own studios Ranjit Film Company (Ranjit Studios) in 1929.
Chandulal Shah was a famous director, producer and screenwriter of Indian films, who founded Ranjit Studios in 1929.
Amarchand Shroff, a friend of Shah, brought him to Kohinoor Film Company. The first film independently directed by him at Kohinoor was Typist Girl (1926) starring Sulochana and Gohar which was made in 17 days. The film did extremely well at the box-office leading Shah to direct another five films for the studio all featuring Gohar. Of these, the most famous was Gunsundari (1927). This silent film about a dowdy housewife who loses her husband to another woman but wins him back after transforming herself, was a record-breaking success. Its story became a staple of Hindi cinema and has been retold over the years with slight variations.
Gunsundaris heroine, Gohar, now came to be known as Glorious Gohar. She became the married Shah’s consort.
As per IMDB
Gohar was born in 1910 in Lahore, Punjab, British India as Gohar Kayoum Mamajiwala. She was an actress, known for Miss 1933 (1933), Bhaneli Bhamini (1927) and Achhut (1940). She was married to Chandulal Shah. She died on September 28, 1985.
Within two years Shah started his own studio, Ranjit, and Gohar starred as the heroine of his first film, Rajputani (’29). Through much of the 30s and the 40s, Shah’s dream factory churned out memorable films like Pati Patni, Toofani Toli, Holi, Acchut, Shaadi and Tansen.
The company changed its name to Ranjit Movietone in 1932 and during the 1930s produced numerous successful talkies at the rate of about six a year.
Besides Filmmaking, Chandulal Shah also devoted a lot of time to the organizational work of the Indian Film Industry. Both the Silver Jubilee (1939) and the Golden Jubilee of the Indian film Industry (1963) were celebrated under his guidance. He was the first president of The Film Federation of India formed in 1951 and even led an Indian delegation to Hollywood the following year.
By the mid-40s, the studio system was fast disintegrating and Ranjit’s list of flops had grown long. Shah tried unsuccessfully to achieve a comeback with the Raj Kapoor-Nargis starrer, Paapi (’53).
Finally, faced with massive losses on the stock exchange and the race course, Shah was left with no option but to allow the takeover of his famous studio. In later years, the much revered big boss of Ranjit was reduced to travelling by Bombay’s public transport. Through five decades of ups and downs, Glorious Gohar stood steadfastly by his side — in glory as well as in eclipse.
On 25 November 1975, the industry's most powerful man, who once owned a fleet of cars, was reduced to travelling in buses and died penniless.
3.V. Shantaram, who started his career assisting Baburao Painter, made his acting debut as the main lead as the young village peasant in Savkari Pash.
He directed his first film, "Netaji Pulkar" in 1927, and in 1929, founded the Prabhat Film Company along with V.G. Damle, K.R. Dhaiber, S. Fatelal and S.B. Kulkarni, which he left in 1942 and to form "Rajkamal Kala Mandir" in Mumbai, in time 'Rajkamal' became one of most sophisticated studios of the country.
He was awarded the Indian film industry's highest award, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in 1985 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1992.
V. Shantaram was born Rajaram Vankudre Shantaram, on November 18, 1901, in the erstwhile princely state of Kolhapur in present day Maharashtra.
V. Shantaram started his film career doing odd jobs in Maharashtra Film Co. owned by Baburao Painter at Kolhapur, growing up to debut as an actor in the silent film, Surekha Haran in 1921.
V. Shantaram had an illustrious career as a filmmaker for almost six decades, starting as an actor in the silent era films and later transitioning into a film director of Hindi and Marathi cinema. He was one of the early filmmakers to realize the efficacy of the film medium as an instrument of social change and used it successfully to advocate humanism on one hand and expose bigotry and injustice on the other.He is the founder of Rajkamal Studios.
The highest accolade of the Indian film industry, for lifetime achievement, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, was conferred on him in 1985. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan award in 1992.
His autobiography titled, 'Shantaram' was published in Hindi and Marathi.
V. Shantaram died on October 30, 1990 in Mumbai. The 'V. Shantaram Award' was consitituted by Central Government and Maharashtra State Government, and the V. Shantaram Motion Picture Scientific Research and Cultural Foundation, established in 1993, shortly after his death, and offers various awards to film makers, the award is presented on 18th November each year being Shantaram's birth anniversary.
He married thrice; His first marriage was with Vimla, his second marriage was to the actress Jayashree, with whom he had two children: the actress Rajshree whom he launched in the film Geet Gaya Patharon Ne , and a son, Kiran Kumar, sometime sheriff of Bombay and Marathi film director.
His third wife was actress, Sandhya who was his co-star in Do Aankhen Barah Haath as well the heroine of his films like Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje and Navrang. His other two children are Prabhat Kumar and Madhura Pandit, who is married to classical singer, Pandit Jasraj and have a daughter actress, Durga Jasraj.
4.D. Billimoria (Dinshaw Billimoria) made his debut in a lead role in N. D. Sarpotdar's Chhatrapati Sambhaji.
Actor-director born in Kirkee. Usually described as the highest-paid silent star in India. Formed the celebrated lead couple with Sulochana esp. at Imperial. Introduced in stunt movie-derived historicals and mythologicals adapting Maratha legends at N.D. Sarpotdar’s United Pics. First two films at Imperial, Bhavnani?’s Wildcat of Bombay and Choudhury?’s Anarkali, were massive hits for him and Sulochana. His John Barrymore- style image was born in elaborate costume fantasies opposite Sulochana’s Orientalised ‘Queen of Romance’, a reference elaborated later by some of the biggest directors of the silent era, e.g. Choudhury, Chandulal Shah, Homi Master, Jaswantlal and Nanubhai Vakil. Several of his silent hits were remade as sound films, notably Indira MA and Anarkali. Acted in some films at Ranjit. Azadi-e-Watan (1940), advertised as directed by him, is probably a dubbed version of an American import.
FILMOGRAPHY : 1925: Chhatrapati Sambhaji; 1926: Dha Cha Ma; Tai Teleen; Umaji Naik; 1927: Wildcat of Bombay; Vilasi Kanta; Daya Ni Devi; 1928: Anarkali; Qatil Kathiyani; Madhuri; Rajrang; 1929: Khwab-e- Hasti; Mewad Nu Moti; Punjab Mail; Heer Ranjha; Rajputani; Hawai Swar; 1930: Pahadi Kanya; Rasili Radha; Diwani Dilbar; 1931: Baghdad Nu Bulbul; Mojili Mashuq; Noor-e- Alam; Premi Jogan (all St); Devi Devayani; 1932: Sati Madalasa; 1933: Daku Ki Ladki;Saubhagya Sundari; Sulochana; 1934: Gul Sanobar; Indira MA; Khwab-e-Hasti; Piya Pyare; Devaki; 1935: Anarkali; Do Ghadi Ki Mauj; Pujarini; 1936: Bambai Ki Billi; Jungle Queen; Shaan-e-Hind; 1937: Jagat Kesari; New Searchlight; Wah Ri Duniya; 1939: Prem Ki Jyot; 1942: Jawani Ki Pukar.
5.Savkari Pash
Savkari Pash (The Indian Shylock) is Indian cinema's 1925 social melodrama silent film directed by Baburao Painter. V. Shantaram made his acting debut as the young village peasant in the film. Painter later remade Savkari Pash in 1936 as a talkie version. The film was adapted from Hari Narayan Apte's novel called Savkari Haak (Call of the Moneylender), and is referred to as a "milestone film" in Indian cinema. Along with Shantaram, the rest of the cast included Kamladevi, Zunzharrao Pawar, Kishabapu Bakre, K. Dhaiber and Shankarrao Bute.
The film has been cited as one of the "earliest examples" of parallel cinema in its depiction of real social issues.The story deals with a greedy moneylender who cheats the peasants of their money, forcing them to give up farming and take on jobs as mill-workers.
Cast
V. Shantaram, Kamladevi, Zunzharrao Pawar, Kishabapu Bakre, K. Dhaiber, Shankarrao Bute
6.
Prem Sanyas (The Light of Asia) (Die Leuchte Asiens in German) is a 1925 silent film, directed by Franz Osten and Himansu Rai. It was adapted from the book, The Light of Asia (1879) in verse, by Edwin Arnold, based on the life of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who after enlightenment became the Buddha, or the "Enlightened one".
The film was an Indo-European co-production, with German technicians and Indian actors, and it managed to steer clear of the usual exotic depiction of Indian culture favoured by western filmmakers up until then. It was made with the cooperation of the Maharajah of Jaipur and contained a cast of thousands. Shooting took place in Lahore, in what is now Pakistan, where the set decoration was created by Devika Rani, the wife of actor/director Himanshu Rai and a noted actress herself. The film was released in the USA by the Film Arts Guild on 11 May 1928.
Synopsis
A tale from India about the origin of the Buddha, Prem Sanyas depicts the story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama (portrayed by director Himansu Rai), the man who became the Buddha, as he journeys from privilege and seclusion to awareness of the inevitability of life's suffering, finally renouncing his kingdom to seek enlightenment.
The film was restored by Arte, and released in 2001.
Cast
Seeta Devi: Gopa
Himansu Rai: Gautama
Sarada Ukil: King Suddhodhana
Rani Bala: Queen Maya
Profulla Roy
7.Kulin Kanta
Kulin Kanta is Indian cinema's 1925 crime thriller silent film directed by Homi Master. Based on a true incident the Bawla murder case, Kulin Kanta featured the story of the Maharaja Holkar of Indore and a dancing girl who wanted to escape from the harem. The film starred the "macho hero" Khalil cited as Indian cinema's "first ever star" in the role of the "lecherous Maharaja". The director of photography was G. K. Gokhale, with story written by Mohanlal G. Dave.
Mumtaz Begum's role was played by Miss Moti while the rest of the cast included Miss Yakbal, Moman Behram, Gani Babu, Jamuna and Behram Vasania.
Based on the infamous Bawla Murder case of 1925,[5] Homi Master made use of the story elements involving a courtesan, royalty, romance, and murder. The case involved Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar III of Indore and a Muslim courtesan called Mumtaz Begum. Mumtaz escaped from the Holkar's zenana quarters in Indore and went to Bombay. Here she sought refuge from a rich benefactor and protector called Bawla.[6]
While driving around Malabar Hill one evening, Mumtaz and Bawla were attacked by Holkar's men in full view of spectators. The attackers killed Abdur Kadir Bawla and tried to kidnap Mumtaz. Three British army officers came to the rescue of Mumtaz. Her evidence in court caused Holkar to abdicate in 1926. According to authors Gokulsing and Dissanayake the film was an "early form of the courtesan genre in Hindi cinema".
Cast
Khalil, Miss Moti, Miss Yakbal, Moman Behram, Gani Babu, Jamuna, Behram Vasania
8.Mojili Mumbai a.k.a. Slaves Of Luxury directed by Manilal Joshi was cited to be based on a real-life story of a cabaret dancer Roshanara, the film "sparked" a debate on "morality and cinematic realism".
9.Mumbai Ni Mohini also called Social Pirates directed by Nanubhai Desai was a real life crime drama.
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