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The story
Founded by Himanshu Rai in 1934.1
Early years
For the period in cinematic history it represented, Bombay Talkies was considered to be an innovative and highly resourced movie studio. In line with international standards, the studios' facilities included sound and echo-proof stages, laboratories, editing rooms and a preview theater. The reputation of Bombay Talkies was further enhanced by employing experienced European technicians, the most prominent of whom was Franz Osten.
Bombay Talkies set a high technical standard for film making in India and was credited with introducing a level of professionalism to the medium of movie making and acting, reputedly higher than standards set by rival Indian film production companies. Bombay Talkies acquired a reputation for changing the aesthetics and technology traditionally associated with Indian films. It was also renowned for producing films on (then) controversial topics such as those dealing with love between an untouchable lower caste girl and a high caste Hindu Brahmin boy e.g. (Achhut Kanya).
Devika Rani, who became one of Bombay Talkies' most successful actresses, and India's first film diva, appeared in Jawani ki Hawa (1935) and Jeevan Naiya (1936), as well as a number of other highly successful productions by the company. The studio was similarly recognised as having launched the careers of several prominent Indian film actors including Devika Rani, Ashok Kumar, Leela Chitnis, Mehmood Ali, Madhubala and Dilip Kumar. Madhubala and Dilip Kumar, who co-starred in four Bombay Talkies films, engaged in a long term, highly covert love affair. Raj Kapoor worked as an assistant to Amiya Chakravarty of Bombay Talkies, before becoming a famous director.
Timeline
1934: The Bombay Talkies film company is conceived and established.
1935: Jawani Ki Hawa, a thriller starring Devika Rani is released.
1936: Jeevan Naiya and Achhut Kanya are released to wide acclaim.
1940: Himanshu Rai, a key founder of the Bombay Talkies dies.
1942: Madhubala makes her debut as a child artist named Baby Mumtaz in the movie Basant.
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1943: Kismet, a successful thriller, is released. It becomes the highest-grossing film of all time, also the first movie to collect 1 crore.
1944: Dilip Kumar's first movie Jwar Bhata is released.
1948: Ziddi, featuring Dev Anand is released, transforming the previously unknown actor into a well known celebrity.
1949: Mahal, becomes a blockbuster, making its leading lady Madhubala an overnight sensation.
1954: The Bombay Talkies company is closed down.
1969: Madhubala, who had worked in several Bombay Talkies productions passes away on 23 February 1969, at the age of 36.
1994: Devika Rani, a highly respected actress and former head of production for the Bombay Talkies studios dies in Bangalore on 9 March 1994.
2001: Ashok Kumar, who appeared in a number of Bombay Talkies productions dies on 10 December 2001.
2021: Dilip Kumar, a highly respected actor referred to as 'Tragedy king' passes away on 7 July 2021, at the age of 98.
From Wikipedia’s article on Bombay Talkies, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4