Vintage film : Achhut Kanya (1936)

Achhut Kanya (Hindi: अछूत कन्या) is a 1936 Hindi film by Bombay Talkies. The film was one of several successful Bombay Talkies collaborations between Franz Osten, who was a German filmmaker, Niranjan Pal, Himanshu Rai, and their leading lady, Devika Rani. Ashok Kumar played the male lead. Music was by Saraswati Devi. Among the early super-hits in the Hindi film industry, the film dealt with the social position of low caste girls and the problems they faced.



The film opens at a railway crossing where a man is about to kill his wife when the narrative spins into the past via a song. The story is of the unhappy love affair between Kasturi (Devika Rani), the Harijan (untouchable) daughter of a railway crossing guard, and Pratap (Ashok Kumar), the Brahmin son of a grocer. At first, rumour and mob violence are deployed to lethal effect in order to maintain a traditional and oppressive morality. Later, when the main protagonists are about to marry, rumours and malicious methods are employed to trigger renewed violence until the on-rushing train of fate stops the strife.



Ashok Kumar & Devika Rani - Khet Ki Muli :  



Ashok Kumar & Devika Rani - Main Ban Ki Chidiya Banke :  



Ashok Kumar - Kise Karta Moorakh Pyar Pyar :  



Ashok Kumar - Peer Peer Kya Kahe Pyare :  



Devika Rani - Udi Hawa Mein Jati Hai :  



Mumtaz Ali & Sunita Devi - Chooriyan Laya Anmol :  



Saraswati Devi - Kit Gaye Ho Khewanhar :  



Kusum Kumari - Nadiya Dheere Baho, Hum Utrat Paar :  



P.S: Some visitors on this blog, particularly Mr Surjit Kohli and Mr Sanjay Jain have been large hearted and magnanimous enough in correcting me whenever I commit errors in naming the songs or the singers. Their support is a big help in carrying this blog deeper into the mist of Hindi film music of the old era. Thank you all.