Acting
A devoted woman, Badi Maa dedicates her life to raising her deceased friend's child, her love and sacrifices influencing all around her, leading to emotional conflicts as the child matures.
An early Indian film that explored social issues or class differences within its narrative, it highlight a commentary on contemporary societal norms, inequalities, or interactions.
Kardar’s ultra-conservative ode to patriarchy tells of Binod (Jairaj) and Indira (Sitara Devi) who were married as children and never meet as adults. Indira grows into a ‘modern’ young woman while Binod, disinherited when his stepfather has a son, works in a distant village. Indira haughtily refuses a relationship with a pauper but she eventually realises her duties to her husband and goes to meet him disguised as Shanta, a beggar woman. Binod then falls in love with her, not realising she is in fact his wife.
The naive Saroop (Nandrekar) romantically renounces earthly pleasures under the influence of a sadhu (Ashraf Khan). Arrested at a fairground and jailed, fellow convicts change his view of the world. Working in the prison’s garden, he meets the superintendent Sohanlal’s (Nazir) daughter Durga (Kumari), who was married as a child to a boy now believed dead. Ranjit (Singh) covets her and on her wedding day to the nasty Ranjit, it is discovered that Saroop was her child-husband.
An early Indian drama, exploring themes of happiness and sorrow in everyday life, as its title ("Dukh Sukh" translates to "Pain Happiness" or "Sorrow Joy") suggests.
Ostensibly a Central Asian war fantasy about a conflict between the Cossacks and the Tartars, Mehboob’s film proposes a tale advocating national independence. The Cossacks are oppressed by the despotic Russian king (Siddiqui) and his minister Jabir (Kayamali), who has Tartar blood in him. General Murad (Kumar) covertly sides with the opposition, gets arrested for treason and escapes. He meets the wild Gulnar (Sitara Devi) and gets her to spy as a maid of Princess Nigar (Bibbo). Nigar falls for Murad and Gulnar withdraws from the scene for the sake of her nation. Eventually Nigar, at the head of an army of women, helps defeat the villains.
Set in the Ottoman Empire, it deals with the Caesar's (Pande) army and its skirmishes with the local Muslim rulers. The Sultan's (Asooji) son Ziyad (Kumar) is arrested by the Roman army. The Roman princess Rahil falls in love with him. A Muslim maid Leela (Sitara Devi) and the princess help him escape. Long chase scenes and fights follow, which ultimately lead to success for Ziyad and his people.
A. R. Kardar’s Pooja tells a disturbing story of two estranged sisters whose lives are fractured by a violent act of revenge and years of buried truths.
Nightingale (Kokila) is a 1937 Hindi social family drama film directed by Sarvottam Badami
A musician's move to Bombay ignites a love triangle with his new landlord's daughter and his former, unrequited admirer. Misunderstandings and family opposition lead to separation, but a fateful reunion during a crisis ultimately brings the true lovers together with a happy ending.
Roti made in the early 1940s inspired by the German Expressionism, is a real critique of Indian society with prophetic insight. It deals with two models - one of a millionaire, possessed by money and power in an industrial civilisation, the other of a tribal couple living in a primeval state of nature. The millionaire is saved by the couple after an air crash, the tribal couple emigrate to the city, do not find happiness and return. The millionaire is ruined in the city, tries futilely to find salvation among the tribal.
Dhiraj (1942) was a Hindi social film directed by Chaturbhuj Doshi and produced by Ranjit Movietone. It featured actors like Sitara Devi and Ishwarlal. Dhiraj was banned by the British government due to alleged inclusion of "symbols like pictures of national leaders," suggesting a plot with nationalist themes.
A social drama centered on the themes of reputation and honor, depicting characters' struggles to maintain or regain their standing in society.
1950 bollywood film.
The evil Chand (Motilal) and his rich father Mangaldas (Date) persecute the nice Sunder (Ishwarlal): he kidnaps Sunder's sister Kokila (Khursheed) and frames him for theft. Sunder is jailed. The abducted Kokila succumbs to the villain's charms and her love reforms him. When released, Sunder, unaware of the fact that his enemy has reformed, seeks revenge on the very day that Chand and Kokila are to marry.
Film starring Sitara Devi and Kumar.
Sundarlal abandons his wife, Lalita, and children to pursue a living in the city, where he succumbs to a life of depravity. After their son dies, their daughter, Saju, defends her virtue and supports her mother in extreme poverty. Disguised as a man, she searches the city for her father with the help of a blind man, Baldev. Saju falls in love with a drunken millionaire she rescues, who mistakes her for a boy.
An Indian drama about a woman's courageous quest for personal goals.
In the midst of war, teacher Ashok falls for Shyama, but their love is tested when he joins the air force and faces a cunning love rival and wartime profiteers. As misunderstandings and deceptions mount, can their love survive the chaos of war and betrayal?
Devdas, the son of a zamindar, and Parvati, his neighbour's daughter, are childhood sweethearts. However, class and caste differences prevent their marriage. Devdas is sent off to Calcutta, while Paro is married off to an aged rich widower. In Calcutta, as remorse drives him to alcohol, Devdas meets Chandramukhi, a tawaif.
