Baney chaandnee ka palnaa
Posted on: June 6, 2026
This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in other sites without the knowledge and consent of the web administrator of atulsongaday.me, then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
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Today’s song is from a very old film -Jeevan Prabhat-1937.
The film was made by Bombay Talkies. It was directed by Franz Osten. The music was by Saraswati Devi and the Lyricist was J.S.Casshyap. The film was Debut film for the lead actor Kishore Sahu and actress Renuka Devi. The cast included Devika Rani, Kishore Sahu, Mumtaz Ali, Maya Devi, Chandraprabha (sister of Devika Rani), Renuka Devi, Prithviraj Kapoor and many others.
In the initial era of Talkie films, Calcutta’s New Theatres and Poona’s Prabhat were the most well known filmmakers. They used to make films on social issues. Particularly, Prabhat was famous for keeping their films centred on the Reform themes like,Dowry, Child Marriage, Second Marriage, Cast difference etc.From the mid 30s one more company came into limelight and that was Bombay Talkies- founded by Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani. They also followed the trend and films on social issues like Untouchability, illiteracy etc were made.
Jeevan Prabhat-1937 was also a film dealing with Caste differences and second marriage. In this film,however, it was shown that the Caste difference stayed and the proposed second marriage got cancelled. I would say, it was quite a realistic depiction of the Indian mindset, because even after hundreds of years, the caste differences exist today, while the other social ills like child marriage, dowry, illiteracy etc are controlled to a greater extent. It would not be wrong to say that as long as the Reservation Policies exist, caste differences will continue to exist-with official support !
Film Jeewan Prabhat-37 was directed by the German Director Franz Osten. The screenplay was by Niranjan Pal- Himanshu Rai’s friend from their London days. Kishor Sahu and Renuka Devi made their Debut in this film. The film was released on 2-11-1937 at Minerva Talkies in Bombay. Baburao Patel of Film India, in its December 1937 issue had not much good opinion about this film. He, in fact, criticised both the Debutantes, for their acting, calling them as ‘ disappointments ‘. However, the film did good business and ran for 17 weeks in Bombay.
Unlike Prabhat or New Theatres, Bombay Talkies produced their films in quick time. This film-Jeewan prabhat- was made in just 2 months. Their most popular film Achhut kanya-36 was made in 6 months. This was possible due to self sufficient facilities, good planning, modern equipment and total involvement of the staff. Franz Osten’s speed and his planning was such that in the span of just 4 years, Franz directed 16 films for Bombay Talkies !
The Debut making actress Renuka Devi was one of a kind. I was not only surprised,but awed and terribly impressed,when I went through her Autobiography ” A woman of substance-Begum Khursheed Mirza “.
Begum Khursheed Mirza is none other than the famous Heroine of the 30s and 40s-Renuka Devi ( 4-3-1918 to 8-2-1989 ). She was perhaps one of the most educated, upper class, sophisticated and highly cultured Muslim ladies, who ever joined the film industry then. One more striking feature of Renuka Devi was that she was one of the very few actresses who joined the films after their marriage. The other such examples I remember offhand is that of Meenakshi Shirodkar (Bramhachari-38 fame), Shobhana Samarth and actress Neena ( real name Shahida-wife of Mohsin Abdulla, brother of Renuka Devi and later wife of W.Z.Ahmed) in those times.
Renuka Devi had studied upto Masters degree in English Literature,from Aligarh Muslim University. The only other nearest example I remember offhand is that of actress Vanmala (real name Susheela Devi Pawar), who had done B.A and B.T. and was a Teacher in the college before joining films,at the behest of writer,journalist and Director P.K.Atre.
The story of Renuka Devi is quite interesting. Khursheed Jehan was born in Aligarh on 4-3-1918, to Shaikh Abdulla and his wife Waheed Jehan Beg. She was the 6th of the 7 siblings. Her father Shaikh Abdulla (1874-1965) was originally a Hindu. He was the son of a rich Jahagirdar and Landlord from Poonch,Kashmir. They were Kashmiri Brahmins. His name was Thakur Das. He embraced Islam in 1890, while studying in Aligarh. When his family learnt about it, he was disowned by them. He took the name Shaikh Abdulla.
He became a leading Advocate of Aligarh. After he married Waheed Jehan Beg,they both- being of progressive thinking- decided to work for the Muslim women’s education. They faced a lot of resistance from the fundamentalists,but they established a Muslim women’s college in Aligarh. To provide students for this college,a school was also started for Muslim girls. Soon the girls started joining the school and college. Shaikh Abdulla ensured that all his children were educated. One daughter became a Doctor,another Advocate and two daughters did master’s degrees and later on became Principal of the women’s college. Khursheed also studied upto masters but due to her marriage could not complete it. ( she completed her Masters in English Litterateur in 1963,at the age of 45 years,later).Khursheed Jehan was married to Akbar Mirza,a Police Officer in Aligarh. Soon she gave birth to 2 sons also. Her brother Mohsin Abdulla was working in Bombay Talkies,at Bombay. He used to describe how professional these studios were. Khursheed was 21 year old and beautiful. She desired to work in films. She wrote a letter to Devika Rani expressing her desire. This she did, without informing her husband. She received a letter from Devika Rani, inviting her to Bombay for an interview. Now she confided in her husband and he wholeheartedly supported her.
Thus started her acting career. She was 21 years,married and had 2 children too. Her first film was ‘ Jeewan Prabhat”-37. She was given the name RENUKA DEVI. This was a Debut film for Kishore Sahu. Bombay Talkies bosses were very happy with her performance and she was offered a Heroine’s role opposite Jairaj in film ” Bhabhi”-1939. Jairaj was also from a rich background,cultured and highly educated. Their tuning was excellent and the film was a grand success. Renuka also sang a few songs in Bhabhi-39. ( When the news of her acting in films reached Aligarh,there was a hue and cry. Her mother wrote to Renuka,’not to visit Aligarh for now’. Renuka did not go to Aligarh for next 2 years).
She was invited to Calcutta By New Theatres to act in the film, Badi Didi-39. Her other films were Naya Sansar-41 (Ashok kumar), Sahara-43 (S D Narang), Ghulami-45 ( Masood Parvez) and Samrat Chandragupta-45 ( Ishwarlal ). Her film career was very short. She announced her retirement from films in February 1944,while shooting for her last films. She did only 7 films and sang only 3 songs in 3 films.
After partition,her family migrated to Pakistan. In Pakistan,though in demand,she refused to do any films. Instead,she decided to devote her time for women’s uplift,education,welfare and social work. She also did some work on Pakistan Radio.
When TV came to Pakistan, she became very active and for the next 15-20 years she was a popular figure on Pak TV. In 1963,she completed her Master’s degree,at the age of 45 years. From August 1982 to April 1983,she published 9 instalments of her autobiography in the popular magazine ” Herald ” as ” The uprooted sapling”. This was,later on,edited and published as a Book, ” A woman of substance- the memoirs of Begum Khursheed Mirza “, by her daughter Lubna,in 2004. Renuka Devi died on 8-2-1989 at Lahore after a prolonged illness.
In her book she included a chapter of 24 pages ” Renuka Devi-my celluloid identity”,in which she has described many interesting anecdotes. Her detailed description of the times of the 30s and 40s is a lovely chronicle of the history of Bombay film industry. Here are some excerpts from her book, for you…
1) Back in the Thirties, acting in films was not considered an honourable profession for anybody. And for a married woman from a well-educated and respectable upper-middle class Muslim family, it was forbidden to even think about it. But Khurshid Mirza, the daughter of the founders of the Aligarh Women’s College, the wife of a police officer and already a mother of two, was too free-spirited to be tied down by any social norm. I took the plunge and soon a star named Renuka Devi was born.
2) In 1939, Shanta Apte wrote that she received four or five letters each day from young girls wanting to join the movies “due perhaps to this monetary attraction”. Actresses themselves acknowledged in interviews that the money was substantial and more than one actress claimed that her salary rivalled that of the Governor of Bombay ! But aside from several myth-building exercises, it is now apparent that film acting was a uniquely high-paying profession for women. According to Filmindia, Shobhana Samarth’s approximate total income in 1942 was Rs 36,000 while Sardar Akhtar, Naseem Banu, and Madhuri earned about Rs 30,000 each. These figures indicate that leading heroines of the day averaged an income of Rs 3,000-4,000 per month (some actresses were freelancers and did not work through the year), at a time when a French chiffon sari cost Rs 9, and a brand new imported Studebaker cost Rs 6,000. It is hardly surprising then, that I would want to make “a little dough”.
3) Akbar stood by me in the face of stiff opposition from both our families. Nevertheless, he maintained a strange attitude towards my work. He enjoyed the benefits the money brought us, such as a new car, expensive game-hunts, and pleasure trips to fashionable Mussoorie in summer and excellent schooling for our children. And, yet, he treated my work as a hobby, instead of giving it its due importance.
( My thanks to the book,”A woman of substance “, some information from ” Free Library”,Cineplot and my own notes).
The story of the film was…
In this film Uma (Devika Rani) is born in a high caste Brahmin family, but falls in love with a boy of Kumhar caste (Potters). Her love with Ramu (Kishore Sahu) leads them nowhere as there is a great opposition to this from all sides. They realise that their love will lead them nowhere. Finally Uma is married off to Nandlal (Prithviraj Kapoor), a Brahmin boy and Ramu accepts the reality.
The marriage makes the potters very happy too. Later it is rumoured that Nandlal is about to marry Padma (Chandraprabha), because Uma is a ‘baanjh’ (infertile). Ramu meets Uma and their meeting is seen by Nandlal. He sends Uma back to her parents. Few days later, Uma discovers that she is pregnant, but Nandlal doubts her fidelity. At the end Padma herself understands how much Uma loves Nandlal. She withdraws from the proposed marriage. Not only this, she also convinces Nandlal about Uma’s purity. Finally, Nandlal and Uma begin a new life as Jeevan Prabhat.
Not much is known about the screenplay writer Niranjan Pal and his work in the film industry. I found this note on him in The Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema…..
(1889-1959) Director and scenarist born in Calcutta. Son of nationalist leader Bipin Chandra Pal. Participated marginally in early youth in terrorist action around Calcutta (1908). Sent to Marseilles and to London where he lived until 1929. Met Veer Savarkar, leader of the extreme right-wing Hindu Mahasabha, and was linked with the assassination of William Hutt Curzon Wyllie (achieved at the Imperial Institute in London on 1 July 1909). In London, worked with the Natural Color Kinematograph Co. (1913); wrote short stories, plays and sold several scripts such as Faith of a Child (F. Martin Thornton, 1915) and A Gentleman of Paris (Sinclair Hill, 1931), based on his own novel His Honour the Judge. Started Indian Players group and staged plays like Bluebottle and The Goddess. Met Himansu Rai, an actor in The Goddess, and discussed making Prem Sanyas (1925). Pal claims in his unpublished memoirs, Such is Life, that the film was his idea as well as his script. Collaborated as scenarist on all Himansu Rai’s silent productions (Shiraz, 1928; Prapancha Pash, 1929). Revived Indian Players and The Goddess on stage in Calcutta with participation of Premankur Atorthy, Modhu Bose and Charu Roy. His play Zarina, staged by Bose’s Calcutta Amateur Players, was later filmed by Ezra Mir (1932). Made promotional films for a French motor car company and Imperial Tobacco, exhibited with Chaplin films in tent shows around Calcutta (1930-3). Made newsreels for Aurora called Aurora Screen News (1938-42) and occasional features for Aurora, including the children’s film Hatekhori. Rejoined Rai at Bombay Talkies (1934-7) as chief scenarist and wrote some of the studio’s biggest hits (Jeevan Naiya and Achhut Kanya, both 1936; Izzat and Savitri, both 1937). Made documentaries for the Punjab government and worked in the Film Advisory Board as chief scriptwriter (1942). Also wrote the story of Modhu Bose’s Khyber Falcon (1932) and Jayant Desai’s Qatil Katari (1931).
Filmography
1929: Prapancha Pash, 1930: Naseeb Ni Balihari (Director), 1931: Pardesia (Director), Pujari (Director), Sui Ka Naka (Director), 1932: Dardi (Director), 1935: Jawani Ki Hawa (Writer, Story), 1936: Achhut Kanya (Writer, Story, Screenplay), Janmabhoomi (Writer, Screenplay), Jeevan Naiya, 1937: Izzat (Writer, Screenplay), Jeevan Prabhat, Prem Kahani, Savitri, 1939: Amma (Director), Hatekhari (Director), 1940: Ditiya Path (Director), Suktara (Director), 1941: Brahman Kanya (Director), Chitthi (Director), Rashpurnima (Director), 1942: Community Manners (Screenplay), 1943: Black Diamonds (Screenplay), 1944: Save for the Future (Screenplay), 1951: Bodhodaya (Director).
Here is a song from this film, sung by Devika Rani. Enjoy….
Song-Bane chaandnee ka palna (Jeevan Prabhat)(1937) Singer- Devika rani, Lyricist-J.S.Casshyap, MD-Saraswati devi
Lyrics
bane chaandnee ka palna
jhoole chanda sa lalna
bane chaandnee ka palna
jhoole chanda sa lalna
chandr kiran kee dor lage ae
tara ban ke phool jage
pawan jhakhore aan jhulaave
pariya aakar loree gaaven
sard dulaaree chaand raat ho
kheele(/) raazi (?)jeewan prabhat
lalna palna
lalna palna
bane chaandnee ka palna
jhoole chanda sa lalna
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
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