{"id":9971,"date":"2025-07-17T22:00:59","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T16:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/?p=9971"},"modified":"2025-07-18T12:41:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T07:11:03","slug":"kanan-devi-first-singing-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/kanan-devi-first-singing-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Kanan Devi: ‘The First Singing Star’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Kanan

Kanan Devi (Pic: SMM Ausaja Archives)<\/p><\/div>\n

The film industry worldwide is a field of action where failures and fadeouts occur as often as incredible accounts of success and fascinating rags-to-riches stories. Among the latter, one name stands out – Kanan Devi, n\u00e9e Kanan Bala. This is the story of a singing star who rose from being a housemaid as a little girl to winning the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at 60.<\/p>\n

As a child, she was a loner, happy to play with her dolls and toy house. Her father, Ratan Chandra Das, worked in a merchant office and also had a small jewellery shop. But his untimely demise, leaving behind loads of debt, forced the little girl and her mother to take shelter in a relative\u2019s home, with few belongings.<\/p>\n

For two meals a day, the mother and daughter worked in that home as cook and housemaid \u2013 a relentless toil without wages. One day, unable to bear the heartless behaviour and verbal abuse of the homeowners anymore, the girl held her mother\u2019s hand and walked out to find her space in the wide world.<\/p>\n

The two found shelter in the house of an acquaintance, who allowed them to stay for a small rent \u2013 one which wasn\u2019t ‘small’ for the penniless mother and daughter. One day, a family friend and theatre artist, Tulsi Banerjee, suggested taking the girl to the film studios. \u201cYou have a pretty face.\u00a0 If you land a chance in the films, there will be no looking back.\u201d<\/p>\n

She sat there, on one side in the studio of Madan Theatres, waiting. The day passed. No one looked her way. Hungry and tired, she had reached the end of her patience. Suddenly, a handsome gentleman, who quite obviously commanded respect from the people around, stopped by her side. Giving her an affectionate pat on the back, he asked kindly, \u201cWhy such a sad face? Are you scared? Or hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears rolled down her cheeks. \u201cWhy the tears, silly girl? You will see how beautiful your photos will be. Everyone will see. You will have a name. This studio will be your own place then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kanan

Kanan Devi<\/p><\/div>\n

At that time, no one could have imagined how true these prophetic words of film director Jyotish Bandyopadhyay would turn out to be for this inexperienced ten-year-old girl. Kanan Bala began her film career as Radha in Bandyopadhyay\u2019s silent film Jaidev <\/em>under the Madan Theatres Limited banner. She received five rupees for her work, a princely amount for her \u2013 although she later found out that her remuneration was 25 rupees, eighty per cent of which never reached her.<\/p>\n

Her next release was another silent film, the KP Ghosh-directed Shankaracharya<\/em>, under the Indian Cinema Arts banner. But Kanan Devi\u2019s biggest break came with playing the lead in Madan Theatre\u2019s Jore Barat<\/em> \u2013 her first talkie film. The film was released at Crown Cinema (renamed Uttara Cinema a few years later) on 27 June 1931.<\/p>\n

In 1932, Kanan Devi moved to Radha Films, playing the role of Bishnupriya (the wife of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) in the film Sri Gauranga<\/em>. This role brought her immense fame overnight as a singing star. Kanan Devi found satisfaction and delight in singing for her role and releasing music records \u2013 it was a welcome relief in a career she had chosen out of compulsion. Her sweet and distinct voice charmed everyone and greatly helped in making her a leading singing actress.<\/p>\n

Across the country, it was singing artists such as K.L. Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, Devika Rani, K.C. Dey, Surendra, G.M. Durrani, Khurshid Bano, Noor Jahan, Suraiya, and others who lit up the screens with their dual talents of singing and acting. This helped make their films even more successful, as playback singing made its advent later.<\/p>\n

Fiercely protective of her dignity and self-respect, Kanan Devi fended off many advances \u2013 from a ‘hero’ finding excuses to get close under the pretext of teaching her ‘natural acting’ to a film director pushing wads of notes into her hand, inviting her to accompany him to the races. Not surprisingly, the peeved film director\u2019s vengeance and harassment made her life miserable. But she stood her ground, holding on to a steely determination to rise above the muck.<\/p>\n

At this time, her role as the ultra-modern, ostentatious Brajarani in the Prafulla Ghosh-directed Maa<\/em>, won massive acclaim from both the critics and the masses. There was no stopping her now.<\/p>\n

Since childhood, Kanan Devi had harboured a desire for education. She engaged a pandit to teach her the epics, the Puranas and the Bhagavad Gita. Also she engaged a school teacher to read and explain Rabindranath Tagore\u2019s poetry, novels and essays. During her shooting schedules in the studio, whenever she had some free time, she would narrate the poems she loved, and memorise them.<\/p>\n

It was a time when actresses did not command the respect they do now. In those days, artists were paid a monthly salary by the studio. In her autobiography, Shobare Aami Nomi (I Salute Everyone),\u00a0<\/em>Kanan Devi recalls a role Basabdutta<\/em>, which she was forced to do under ‘contract’, wearing costumes she wasn\u2019t comfortable with. Not surprisingly, her listless performance left everyone surprised, and the film tanked.<\/p>\n

But once again, the scales turned in her favour with the huge box office success of\u00a0Manmoyee Girls School,<\/em>\u00a0a romantic comedy co-starring Jahar Ganguly. The film ran uninterrupted for 10 weeks at Roopbani Theatre in 1935, with Kanan Devi\u2019s songs and performance receiving wide appreciation. Her first record was released after this film and opened up new avenues.<\/p>\n

The 1930s were a time when films made in Bengali would often have a Hindi version as well. Kanthahaar<\/em> in Bengali was made as Khooni Kaun<\/em> in Hindi while Maa<\/em> too had a Hindi version. Playing Rukmini in Krishna Sudama<\/em> (1936), and Kundanandini in Bishabriksha<\/em> (1936) were roles that brought her fame as well as creative satisfaction, while her performance as Brajarani opposite Jaal Merchant and Zubeida in the Hindi Maa<\/em> earned her the Best Actress Award and pan-Indian recognition. \u00a0Kanan Devi\u2019s last film with Radha Film Company was Char Darvesh<\/em> (1936).<\/p>\n

\"The

The legendary New Theatres
(Pic: SMM Ausaja Archives)<\/p><\/div>\n

Kanan Devi now joined the premier film studios of the 30s \u2013 the prestigious New Theatres led by the iconic B N Sircar. Her first film under NT was the bilingual Bidyapati<\/em>\/Vidyapati <\/em>(1937) although Mukti<\/em> (1937) was released earlier. Both these films pitchforked Kanan Devi into nationwide stardom.<\/p>\n

Playing Anuradha, the poet\u2019s devotee in Vidyapati<\/em> under the direction of Debaki Bose with music by RC Boral was a turning point. This character left such an impact that ripples were heard decades later. Remember in\u00a0Padosan,<\/em>\u00a0Kishore Kumar (well, who else) parodying KC Dey\u2019s style of\u00a0\u201cAnuradha, Anuradha\u201d\u00a0in the song\u00a0Meri pyari Bindu<\/em>?\u00a0<\/em>He is corrected by his gang:\u00a0\u2018Guru, guru, guru, Anuradha nahin\u2026 Bindu, \u00a0Bindu!\u2019\u00a0<\/em>The film\u2019s superhit songs were steeped in Vaishnavi kirtan, with a mix of Maithili and Bengali and lyrics full of imagery. Kanan Devi, with her typical Bengali lilt, became the number one singer-star of New Theatres, on par with K L Saigal with the popularity of\u00a0Vidyapati<\/em>\u2019s songs.<\/p>\n

\"Kanan

Playing Anuradha in Vidyapati<\/em> with Pahari Sanyal and Prithviraj Kapoor<\/p><\/div>\n

Pramathesh (PC) Barua’s bilingual Mukti<\/em> (1937), which was among her finest performances, made her the studio’s top star. With Mukti<\/em>, Kanan Devi got the opportunity to train under Pankaj Mullick<\/a>. The doyen\u2019s compassionate teaching style helped Kanan Devi hone her skills in singing Rabindra Sangeet. Mullick called her the \u201cFirst Singing Star of New Theatres\u201d. He trained her in how to modulate her full-throated voice in the high and low notes and to introduce feeling in her renditions. She also trained with RC Boral and Hindustani vocal exponent Vishmadev Chatterjee, releasing several Raag-pradhan<\/em> (semi-classical) songs under the latter\u2019s guidance.<\/p>\n

Pran chaaye chokkhu na chaaye<\/strong><\/em> (Parajay<\/em>, 1940) Music and lyrics Rabindranath Tagore<\/span><\/p>\n