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020			_a9789351365365
082			_a270 SEN _223
100			_aSengupta, Mekhala.
245		0	_aKanan Devi _b: The First Superstar of Indian Cinema _c/ Mekhala Sengupta.
250			_aFirst edition.
260			_aNew Delhi _b: HarperCollins Publishers India _c, 2015
300			_axx, 208 p. _b, 12 pages of plates : illustrations (some colour) _c; 22 cm
520			_aKanan Devi: The First Superstar of Indian Cinema is a detailed biography of Kanan Devi, one of the pioneering actresses and singers of Indian cinema. Written by Mekhala Sengupta, the book traces Kanan Devi's remarkable journey from a childhood marked by poverty and hardship to becoming one of the highest-paid and most celebrated film stars of the 1930s and 1940s. It highlights her extraordinary achievements in both silent films and the early era of sound cinema. The book explores her collaborations with legendary artists such as K. L. Saigal, Ashok Kumar, Pankaj Mullick, R. C. Boral, and Kazi Nazrul Islam, as well as her contribution to popularizing the musical works of Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul. Beyond her artistic accomplishments, it examines her pioneering role as a film producer, her financial independence, and her efforts to improve the welfare of women working in the Indian film industry. Combining meticulous historical research with engaging narrative, the biography provides valuable insights into the evolution of Indian cinema, women's changing social roles, and the cultural history of twentieth-century India. It is an important resource for students and researchers of film studies, media studies, gender studies, cultural history, and modern Indian history.
650			_aKanan Devi, 1916–1992.
650			_aMotion picture actors and actresses—India—Biography.
650			_aSingers—India—Biography.
650			_aWomen in the motion picture industry—India.
942			_cVC OFFICE
999			_c69819 _d69819