कर्मा

A princess falls in love with a neighbouring prince, much to the disapproval of his father. Shot entirely in India and post-produced at Stoll Studios in London, Karma was an Indo-German-British collaboration — the first international co-production in Indian cinema history. The film is best remembered for an extended kiss between Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai, considered one of the first intimate scenes in Indian cinema, and for Devika Rani's English-language song, possibly the first English song in any Indian talkie.

Ernst Broadhurst's score blends European orchestral technique with Indian melodic elements — an exotic East-meets-West palette suited to the bilingual production. Devika Rani's English song is among the earliest vocal recordings by an Indian woman in any international production.

Shot in India, post-produced at Stoll Studios London. The kiss scene was passed by Indian censors who were then more concerned with nationalist content than romantic displays.

India's first international co-production; contains one of Indian cinema's first on-screen kisses and possibly the first English-language song in an Indian talkie, sung by Devika Rani. Himanshu Rai's production marked the transition point before he founded Bombay Talkies in 1934.

A landmark despite initial Indian audience shock. Himanshu Rai's international ambition here directly prefigured Bombay Talkies, the studio that would shape Hindi film music for two decades. The film was released in Hindi as 'Naagan Ki Raagini'.