Actors - Devika Rani

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	Actors - Devika Rani

Devika Rani Chaudhuri Roerich (March 30, 1908 – March 9, 1994) was an early Indian movie star.

Career

Born in Waltair (now Vishakhapatnam), Devika Rani came from a distinguished background: she was the grand-niece of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and her father, Col. M.N. Chaudhuri, was the first Indian Surgeon-General of Madras (the city now known as Chennai). Her mother's name was Mrs. Leela Chaudhuri.

She completed her early schooling in the early 1920s. She then studied drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the Royal Academy of Music in London, UK, where she won scholarships. She also studied architecture, textile and decor design, and apprenticed under Elizabeth Arden.

Devika Rani married Indian producer and actor Himanshu Rai in 1929. Together they starred in Karma, the first Hindi sound film. They soon founded the Bombay Talkies film studio, whose films challenged the caste system. In addition to Devika Rani, other notable actors to work for Bombay Talkies at one point or another included Ashok Kumar and Madhubala.

Achhut Kanya (1936), her most notable film, told the story of a relationship between an untouchable girl (played by herself) and a Brahman boy (played by Ashok Kumar).

Later Life

Widowed in 1940, she married Russian painter Svetoslav Roerich in 1945.

In 1958, the President of India honoured Devika Rani with a Padma Shri. In 1970, she became the first recipient of the prestigious film prize Dadasaheb Phalke Award. At her funeral, Devika Rani was given full state honours.

In later years, she settled in Bangalore with her husband Svetoslav Roerich and built the Tataguni estate on Kanakpura road. The estate is famous for the exotic plants planted there by the couple.

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