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India.com
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Who was India's first female superstar? Was forced to work as a maid in relatives' house, lived in extreme poverty, married twice, her name is...
Whenever there is talk of superstars in Indian cinema, the names of male actors are taken. But, among them, there was a woman who earned the title of the first superstar in Bengali cinema and was known as the 'Melody Queen'. This is the story of Kanan Devi, the great actress, singer, and filmmaker of Indian cinema. Her amazing talent, sweet voice, emotional acting, and courageous personality made her immortal in the hearts of the audience. Kanan Devi not only earned a name in acting and singing but also created a new path for women in filmmaking by establishing institutions like 'Shrimati Pictures' and 'Sabyasachi Collective'. The story of Kanan Devi, who was awarded the Padma Shri and Dada Saheb Phalke Award, is an example of courage, art, and dedication. Who was India's first female superstar? Born on 22 April 1916 in Howrah, West Bengal, Kanan struggled with poverty and achieved fame in the cinema world on the basis of her talent. Her childhood was spent in extreme poverty. However, after the death of her father, she and her mother had to face difficulties. It is said that she worked as a maid in her relatives' house. When Kanan was 10 years old, she got a chance to work in silent films with the help of a friend. Her first film was Joydev (1926), in which she got only five rupees, and from here her film journey started. Which films did Kanan Devi work in? Kanan started with silent films and made a mark with her acting in talking films. In her film career, she did films like 'Jorbarat' (1931), 'Maa' (1934), and 'Manomayi Girls School' (1935), which brought her fame. The turning point in her life came when she joined Kolkata's 'New Theatres'. This further increased her fame. Her acting and singing in films like 'Mukti' (1937) and 'Vidyapati' (1937) made her a superstar. Her performance in films like 'Saathi' (1938), 'Sapera' (1939), 'Lagan' (1941), and 'Jawab' (1942) was highly appreciated. Her popularity was so much that she needed security to protect her from the crowd. How did Kanan Devi establish a production unit? Kanan Devi did not limit herself to just acting and singing. She started her own production company called 'Shrimati Pictures' and later formed 'Sabyasachi Collective', which made films based on Bengali literature. She became India's first female filmmaker, which was a revolutionary step at that time. In those times, it was a big deal for women to step into filmmaking, but Kanan Devi tried to strengthen the position of women in society through her work. How many different industries did Kanan Devi work? In her three decade long film career, she did not only Bengali but also Hindi films. Kanan Devi moved to Mumbai (Bombay) in 1948 and her Hindi film 'Chandrashekhar' was released the same year. Kanan Devi was awarded the 'Padma Shri' in 1968 and the 'Dadasaheb Phalke' award in 1976 for her contribution to Indian cinema. Kanan Devi's married life Kanan Devi achieved immense success in the glamorous world of cinema, but her married life had many ups and downs. She married twice. Her first marriage was in 1940 to Ashok Maitra, the son of the Brahmo Samaj's famous educationist, Haramba Chandra Maitra. However, in those days, it was unacceptable in society for an actress to work in films, which is why this marriage was strongly opposed. When the great poet Rabindranath Tagore gave gifts and blessings to Kanan and Ashok, the Brahmo Samaj also strongly condemned him. This marriage broke up in 1945, which deeply saddened Kanan. After this, she married Harendranath Chakraborty for the second time, with whom she had a son. Kanan Devi, who tasted success in a three-decade-long film career, died on July 17, 1992 in Kolkata.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Pre-Independence Bollywood icon had real-life Devdas spiral, succumbed to alcohol at 42; once gave the equivalent of Rs 75,000 to blind beggar
Before there was Dilip Kumar, before there was Shah Rukh Khan, there was Kundanlal Saigal. Born in Jammu, Saigal achieved fame and success for his portrayal of the titular character in the 1935 adaptation of Devdas. Sadly, his own life was marked by a dependence on alcohol. He died in the year of India's Independence, in January, after damaging his liver to the point of no recovery. He was only 42, and reportedly didn't have much money to his name. He had returned to his hometown of Jalandhar, and was hoping to rebuild his singing and acting career. Feeling unfulfilled as a youth in Jalandhar, he took up odd jobs across the country. He worked as a salesman, peddling sarees and typewriters. He worked at a hotel in Shimla. But his passion for singing drew him to Kolkata, then the hub of the film and entertainment industry. In Kolkata, he was signed by New Theatres, a production company that retained him for the sum of Rs 200 per month. His first few films didn't work, but the year 1934 was pivotal for him. The song 'Prem Nagar,' from the film Chandidas, was a hit. The very next year, he starred in Devdas, which catapulted his career to even greater heights. Also read – Legendary Bollywood music composer lived as paying guest in final years, banned family from attending funeral 'I am just an ordinary person with no acting experience. I used to be a salesman and singing is my hobby,' he told Kidar Sharma, who'd go on to write Devdas, and worked with pre-fame Geeta Bali, Madhubala, Bharat Bhusan and others. 'Saigal had two passions,' Kidar Sharma wrote in his autobiography, 'Music and alcohol; one made him and the other destroyed him.' Saigal remained skeptical about his skills, and grew certain that he could perform only when he was under the influence. In his book, Kidar Sharma narrated a story about the music composer Naushad asking Saigal to sing a song both sober and drunk, and then told him that he was going to pick the sober version. He once told a concerned music director ahead of a recording session, 'Please forgive my staggering but I do not sing with my body but soul.' In an interview with Kirit Ghosh, editor of the film magazine Jayathi, Saigal said, 'I have no clear understanding of the grammar of music. I manage to sing because of a strong feeling about how certain sounds should feel in a given raga. I do not use ten notes if I can manage to do the same with one. That's because I know very little.' Read more – Star of Bollywood's Golden Era died penniless due to flamboyant lifestyle, influenced Amitabh Bachchan and won praise from Mahatma Gandhi Saigal was one of the first performers to insist that his songs be recorded live, instead of in a studio. In his book Bollywood Melodies, Ganesh Anantharaman wrote, 'Saigal's supreme effort at singing was, of course, RC Boral's, Bhairavi Thumri 'Babulmora Naihar Chooto Hi Jaaye' in Street Singer (1938). In terms of authenticity and feeling, no other Bhairavi comes close to matching this Boral-Saigal masterpiece. While playing the protagonist, insisted that this song be recorded live as he is walking the street, though playback was well in vogue by then. Saigal knew that it was through his voice that he conveyed the truths of his character, and the truth of street singer needed a live recording. The director complied, and the song was recorded live with Saigal walking the streets, singing while a mike followed him in a truck just behind! No other singer would have dared a live recording. No other singer, therefore, has sung as intense a Bhairavi.' In his book, Kidar Sharma narrated a story to illustrate how sensitive Saigal was as a person. Back when Saigal was making a living selling sarees and typewriters, he'd cross the house of a poor girl who had her eye on a green saree in his case. But she couldn't afford it. One day, she promised him she'd have the Rs 10 that it cost the next day, and told him to come by. When he did, he discovered that the girl had died. Saigal donated the green saree to his brother for her funeral, and was so deeply affected by the incident that he stopped selling sarees altogether. Read more – Bollywood's most celebrated Golden Age writer died penniless, burdened by heavy debts; Javed Akhtar blamed Raj Kapoor Once, at a party, Saigal persuaded Kidar Sharma to step outside with him for some fresh air. Sharma realised that Saigal had heard someone singing in the distance, and wanted to investigate. The voice belonged to a blind beggar. Saigal was so moved by his song that he reached into his pocket and gave the beggar whatever he had. He later told Sharma that he'd given the beggar Rs 5000. When Sharma expressed shock, Saigal said, 'You think the one who gives me ever counts?' Saigal retreated to Jalandhar when he fell gravely ill. Doctors had reportedly given up on him, and his family had decided not to withhold his alcohol. They wanted him to do as he pleased. His sister-in-law told Punjabi writer Balwant Gargi several years after his death, 'Kundan was a great soul, an unusual person. He was ill and in need of complete rest but would tell us jokes and make us laugh. A few days before his death, he got his head shaved and said that on his return to Bombay, he would play the roles of sadhus and bhakts. But suddenly, his condition became critical and he passed away on the morning of January 18, 1947, leaving behind only his eternal melodies for hordes of his mourners in the country.' Read more – Mughal-E-Azam actor worked in over 500 films, but lived in a house without electricity, could never afford a car In a 1973 interview with a film magazine, Saigal's son reflected on his alcoholism. He said, 'My father did drink like anybody else… While he enjoyed his drink, my sister and I used to take music lessons in his presence from our teacher Jagan Nath Prasad. He would then listen to our practice. I did not see him drinking in excess at home. Nor do I remember his ever coming home in a drunken state.'
