12 January,2021 02:57 PM IST | Mumbai | Partnered Content
The Pillar of Indian Cinema Rajnarayan Dube
Rajnarayan Dube the Biggest financier of Asia and The Pillar Of Indian Cinema founded The Biggest Film Company of Asia BOMBAY TALKIES along with Himanshu Rai & Devika Rani in 1934.
Under Command of Rajnarayan Dube Bombay Talkies produced & Processed More Than 450 Films, Launched more than 280 legends, Distributed 259 movies, Built 400 Cinema Hall & Financed more than 700 films.
The Bombay Talkies Studios' story is full of magic and colour. In the '30s, the movie business was supposed to be a âdirty business'. People would talk about movies, but many wouldn't even consider going to watch one. There seemed to be a lack of respect for the profession because it was being considered the domain of undesirable sections of the then Indian society. Due to this, financiers during those times would face an impossible challenge when it came to getting returns on their investment.
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Himanshu Rai
It was after giving back to back flop movies in the UK that during this hunt of financiers for his survival, Himanshu Rai, a London return flop actor/theatre artist, struggling after ruining his career in the UK came in contact with Abhimanyu Singh, a close friend of the business tycoon Seth Badriprasad Dube, who was a well-known financier. He introduced Himanshu Rai to Seth Badriprasad Dube with a dream of making a cinema company but Seth Badriprasad declined the proposal of funding him because Seth Badriprasad had once financed the first Talkie film of India Alam Ara in 1931, which didn't earn him any profit and he made an opinion that only actors and directors get fame but the financier doesn't get profits. The other reason for his denial was that the history of London based actor Himanshu Rai was damaging and unsuccessful.
Abhimanyu Singh spoke next to Seth Badriprasad's son Shri. Rajnarayan Dube. He was a young and dynamic businessman who operated a successful company called Dube Industries, which he had founded in 1929. Mr. Dube was born on 10th October 1910 at Kalighat in Kolkata and was an ardent devotee of Maa Kali. He was influenced by the power of art and creativity at a young age. Both men met at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Colaba, Mumbai (Bombay), and discussed an initial investment amount of Rs. 25 lakhs. However, Himanshu Rai couldn't convince Rajnarayan Dube to invest the amount because of the dismal returns on investment that the Indian movie industry offered. At this point, it would seem that Bombay Talkies would never come to be, but things have a way of working out in unexpected ways.
A few months passed by and Himanshu Rai had grown increasingly despondent because it was becoming impossible to raise investment for his movie company. In his depression, the man attempted suicide but was unsuccessful. Rajnarayan Dube got wind of this through Abhimanyu Singh and wondered about this man, one who so completely and wholeheartedly believed in the power of cinema and talking pictures that he did not see fit to continue living if he couldn't follow his dreams. Despite the unsuccessful background of Himanshu Rai, Rajnarayan Dube decided that Himanshu Rai was onto something here and finalized the investment with him soon after. In doing this, Rajnarayan Dube gave birth to the Indian Film Industry, which has now gone on to become a huge cultural and financial force in the country. Under the leadership of Rajnarayan Dube, Bombay Talkies had Produced films like Achhut Kannya, Kismet, Bandhan, Mahal, Jeevan Naiya, Neel Kamal, Baadbaan, Drishtidan (Bengali), Izzat, Prem Kahani and many more before it got defunct in the year of 1954.
After a long interval of six decades, Girish Ghanshyam Dube dreamed of reviving his grandfather's dream and decorated it with old dignity. Not only did he dream, but to embrace the modern art, science and commerce of the modern age. Rajnarayan Dube's vision is restored by restoring the base pillar Bombay Talkies and fitting it with golden peaks.
In its second innings, Under the command of Girish Ghanshyam Dube, The Bombay Talkies Studios along with Sanskrit Bhushan Kamini Dube created Rashtraputra, the first patriotic film based on the life & times of greatest revolutionary Chandrashekhar Azad which showcased at 72nd Cannes Film Festival in France and earned huge applause from the Audience.
After the Grand success of Rashtraputra, The Bombay Talkies Studios along with one of the most eminent female personalities of India, Kamini Dube produced Aham Brahmasmi, the first mainstream Sanskrit film in the world to spread the brahmavakya of vedas to every corner of the World.
Rashtraputra and Aham Brahmasmi are written, edited and directed by International Brand Ambassador of Sanskrit, Sanskrit Mahanayak Maharishi Aazaad.
Today, under the command of its parent company Dube Industries, The Bombay Talkies Studios as a production, distribution and finance company is holding its fort strongly.
In an event, Mr. Chandra Shekhar Pusalkar Phalke, grandson of the father of Indian Cinema Dada Saheb Phalke said, If Mr. Rajnarayan Dube was not there, there would be no Himanshu Rai, neither Devika Rani nor there would be Bombay Talkies."
Numerous people have written books about Bombay Talkies and Rajnarayan Dube like the most important books are written by Mohammad Zahid Ahmed titled as The Man Behind Indian Cinema and by Late. KM Srivastava titled as Bombay Talkies - The Pillar of Indian Cinema.
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