usually known march march actress indian films active 1930s 1940s widely acknowledged lady indian cinema successful film career spanned years early years spent london studied architecture started career textile engineer met indian film producer persuaded join production crew assisted costumes design art direction film throw married went germany learned different aspects film making berlin cast performance received critical acclaim returning india couple established production studio produced women centric films decade portraying lead roles screen pairing popular india following death took control studio produced films peak career retired films married russian painter leading life persona roles films considered socially unconventional awards include soviet land award family background born family near present day father col madras presidency paternal chief justice prominent based writer related parents poet nobel mother daughter mother eldest sister nobel words paternal maternal cousins daughters sisters childhood spent england age moved country enrolled boarding school completing schooling early 1920s got admission london study acting music followed course architecture textile design completion started career textile engineer met future husband indian turned film maker london preparing shoot forthcoming film throw impressed exceptional skills invited join production team film actress readily agreed traveled india assignment assisting areas costume designing art direction traveled germany post production work occasion observe film making techniques german film industry specifically inspired methods film making enrolled film making course studio berlin learnt aspects film making additionally took special course film acting shortly release married time acted play received accolades switzerland scandinavian countries time trained production unit austrian theatre director film debut returned india produced film titled film like previous films joint production people india germany united_kingdom played lead role decided cast female lead marking acting debut credited having english language indian earliest indian films feature kissing scene kissing scene involving lasted minutes eighty years later stands record duration kissing scene indian cinema sang song film song english hindi song said bollywood english song simultaneously english hindi premiered london alongside special screening royal family windsor film received europe performance internationally acclaimed won rave reviews london media critic daily_telegraph noted beauty charm potential star magnitude following release film invited enact role television broadcast britain inaugurated company short wave radio transmission india spite success england interest indian audiences turned failure india released hindi early film received good critical response helped establish leading actress indian cinema indian independence activist poet called lovely gifted little lady critical success couple returned india hindi version film released india trace established required networks europe able start film studio named playwright screenwriter met previously london directed films inception best equipped film studios country studio serve launch pad future actors including studio film crime thriller starring shot fully train star studio venture stars developed romantic relationship shooting schedule married hindu woman married muslim man enraged distraught leading pair absent production stalled significant portion movie shot large sum money taken credit spent studio suffered severe financial losses loss credit city runaway couple merry assistant sound engineer studio bond spoke language established contact runaway couple managed convince return husband india era divorce legally impossible women regarded better families heart hearts knew secure divorce marry circumstances negotiated husband auspices seeking separation finances husband condition return henceforth paid separately working films required single pay household expenses home live agreed order save face society prevent studio going bankrupt returned marital home things husband wife said relationship largely confined work little intimacy episode despite additional expense involved shooting portions film replaced brother wife hero marked debut decade long career hindi films dismissed job period actors actresses paid regular monthly salaries specific film studio work studio reputation dangerous established find work studio career ruined sank obscurity golden era studio production tragedy drama portraying roles girl boy fall love film considered landmark indian cinema challenged system country casting considered looks match role poor girl virtue upper class upbringing pairing popular went star films productions 1930s produced women centric films playing lead role majority films produced studio paired opposite overshadowed released saw role reversal played higher woman mistaken society having extra marital affair man release based romeo juliet set medieval period depicted lovers belonging enemy clans empire released following year dealt plight child woman told abandon husband ensure successful pregnancy second release year played princess release romantic drama told story orphaned girl village doctor played studio decline following death rift parties led assumed principal responsibility took studio produced acted starring subsequent years produced successful films studio starring contained anti british messages india british rule time turned record breaking film film appearance playing small role newcomer role produced behalf studio internal politics arose studio led prominent personalities including ways set new studio called lack support interest decided quit film industry interview journalist mentioned idea willing compromise artistic values film making major reasons industry retirement following retirement films married russian painter son russian artist marriage couple moved got acquainted family stay documentaries wildlife staying years moved settled managing export company couple bought acres estate outskirts city led solitary life rest lives died march year died funeral given state honors following death estate litigation years couple legal remained childless life august government acquired estate passed verdict favour persona legacy called lady indian cinema credited earliest personalities took position indian cinema global standards films tragic romantic dramas contained social themes roles played films usually involved romantic relationship men unusual social norms prevailing society time mainly background community identity highly influenced german cinema virtue training influenced german actress acting style compared leading named indian attire films real life considered time book bollywood tribute completing years mentions known dragon lady smoking drinking hot temper government india honoured country fourth highest civilian honour recipient country highest award films instituted soviet russia honoured soviet land award postage stamp commemorating released february filmography
Devika Rani