Bombay Talkies - People

People

Rajnarayan Dube (October 10, 1910 – December 9, 1990) was the key financial backer of the Bombay Talkies. Much of Rajnarayan Dube's personal wealth stemmed from Dube Industries, a Bombay based company established in 1929 that was primarily concerned with undertaking major construction projects. Rajnarayan Dube was also reputed to be a highly successful financier who invested in a wide variety of highly profitable industries.

Devika Rani (March 30, 1908 – March 9, 1994) was renowned for her strength of personalty and great beauty. As one of India's first internationally acclaimed actresses, she was also nationally adored by millions of Indian cinema fans. As her role as head of production within the Bombay Talkies studio proved, Devika had a great range of skills which extended beyond merely acting. In recognition of her contribution to Indian cinema, Devika Rani was awarded the highly respected Padma Shri award in 1958. Devika was also the first recipient of the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award which she received in 1969 from the Indian Government as recognition of her lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. Before her death in 1994, Devika received a number of accolades, including being nominated to a number of highly distinguished public positions by the Central Indian Government (the National Academy of Dance, Drama, Music and Films, the Central Government Audio Visual Education Board, and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations).

Dilip Kumar (born: December 4, 1922, Muhammad Yusuf Khan) was the charismatic star of a number of Bombay Talkies productions. Dilip's introduction to the elite world of Bombay Talkies is attributed to several sources, all potentially based more on legend than fact. According to one version of Dilip's career trajectory, Devika Rani and Rajnarayan Dube spotted Khan in one of Pune's Aundh military canteens, and insisted that he audition for an upcoming Bombay Talkies production. The Hindi author Bhagwati Charan Varma then insisted that Dilip be given the lead role in his film Jwar Bhata. Like several other prominent Bombay Talkies actors, Dilip was awarded the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award in recognition of his skills and abilities as an actor. Upon his retirement from the film industry, Dilip Kumar also spent many years as a Bombay politician.

Raj Kapoor (14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as "The Show Man", launched his highly successful career in the Bombay Talkies company. Initially Raj worked as an attendant on the sets of Bombay Talkies studios, however as a result of his dedication to the company, Devika Rani and Rajnarayan Dube recognized Raj's determination to succeed as an actor. Raj subsequently became one of India's most successful cinematic exports. In recognition of his outstanding skills as a thespian, Raj won nine Indian Filmfare Awards and was twice nominated for the Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival. Like many of his contemporaries at Bombay Talkies, Raj was awarded the Padma Bhushan award in 1971 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1987 for his outstanding contributions to Indian cinematic culture.

Aghajani Kashmeri (Aka Kashmiri and Agha Jani) (born: 16 October 1908), who has written more than 50 highly successful film scripts, spent his youth training as a screenplay writer under Himanshu Rai and Rajnarayan Dube at the Bombay Talkies studio. The first script Aghajani wrote for the Bombay Talkies was Vachan (Vow), which was directed by Franz Osten.