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During the 1930s and 1940s, when on-screen kissing was rare, an actress who became India’s first female superstar broke barriers by performing the first-ever on-screen kiss in Indian cinema. Not only was it groundbreaking, but it also remains the longest kissing scene in the industry’s history. The actress we are talking about dominated the film industry for a decade, making a lasting impact with her talent and charisma. The trailblazing star was none other than Devika Rani.
Born into a wealthy Indian family, Devika was sent to a boarding school in England at the age of nine and spent much of her early life there. In 1928, she met Indian film producer Himanshu Rai and married him the following year. She initially contributed to costume design and art direction for Rai’s experimental silent film A Throw of Dice (1929). The couple later made their acting debut together in Karma (1933), which premiered in England and garnered attention for its longest on-screen kiss. However, despite creating this record and generating massive buzz, the film failed terribly in India. The kissing scene between Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani lasted for approximately four minutes, and it still holds the record for the longest on-screen kiss in Indian cinema.
This marked the beginning of Devika Rani’s successful journey in Bollywood. She and Himanshu established their own production house, Bombay Talkies, which became one of the most renowned studios in India. The studio became a launch pad for several superstars like Dilip Kumar, Leela Chitnis, Madhubala, Raj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, and Mumtaz. The studio’s first film, Jawani Ki Hawa (1935), starring Devika Rani and Najm-ul-Hassan, was shot entirely on a train.
By the mid 1930, Devika established herself as India’s first female superstar. However in 1936, while filming Jeevan Naiya, a Bombay Talkies production, she developed feelings for her co-star Najm-ul-Hassan. The two actors eloped, leaving Himanshu Rai quite frustrated. He sent his sound Sashadhar Mukherjee, who had a close brotherly bond with Devika, to convince her to return. She agreed, but only on one condition that Rai pay them a significant amount of money. Although Rai agreed, he later took his revenge by firing Najm-ul-Hassan, deliberately ending his career. Despite the controversy, Devika continued to dominate the industry for another decade before passing away in 1943.
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