सैरंध्री

A Mahabharata episode rendered by Shantaram's Prabhat Film Company: Draupadi, disguised as the maidservant Sairandhri, serves in King Virata's palace during the Pandavas' thirteenth year of exile. When the commander Kichaka attempts to molest her, the disguised Bhima intervenes and slays him. Prabhat's most technically ambitious production of 1933, Sairandhri was shot on Agfa black-and-white negative and intended as India's first colour film — release prints were processed in Germany by Bipack colour printing, but the colours came out garish and the print failed commercially.

Govindrao Tembe's nine-song Hindi soundtrack for Sairandhri — leaning on classical raga settings suited to the Mahabharata episode. 'Man Harat Rang Phoolo Ke' sung by Leela is the best-documented surviving number. Soundtrack discs were pressed in Germany alongside the colour processing — an early instance of offshore post-production for Indian film music.

V. Shantaram's colour gamble: Prabhat sent the negative to UFA Germany for Bipack colour printing. The resulting release prints were too garish; the film ran for less than a week. The failure did not deter Shantaram — he would pursue technical innovation throughout his career.

India's first attempted colour film — Bipack colour processing failed at UFA Germany, forcing a black-and-white release. Also credited as having the first original soundtrack disc pressed for a Prabhat film (gramophone records pressed in Germany). Listed by NFAI founder P.K. Nair among the 21 most wanted missing Indian film treasures.

The precedent for Indian cinema's long pursuit of colour — a baton passed to Kisan Kanya (1937, Sohrab Modi) and then to Aan (1952). Sairandhri's failure was the field's first costly lesson in colour technology.