Browse 40 movies from Ranjit Movietone
A jaded socialite, Vinakumari, and her lover, Dr. Rasik, discover purpose at a Gandhian ashram. Vinakumari dedicates herself to the poor as the ashram battles challenges from urban temptation to famine and greedy landlords. Dr. Rasik eventually joins the cause, bringing much-needed medical aid to the struggling community.
Oct 1935
Anil, a rich banker, loves Leela but is arranged to marry the poor orphan Suman. A complex love triangle/quadrangle unfolds with misunderstandings and separations, ultimately ending with both Leela and Suman realizing their shared love for Anil.
Apr 1941
A mythological tale tells the cherished tale of Lord Krishna, the divine king of Dwarka, and his impoverished childhood friend, Sudama. Despite their vastly different lives, their pure bond of friendship endures. The story portrays Sudama's reluctant visit to Dwarka and Krishna's miraculous, selfless blessing upon his devoted friend.
Aug 1933
Mumtaz Mahal tells the story of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal, tracing their deep love, her death during childbirth, and his grief that leads him to build the Taj Mahal in her memory.
Oct 1944
Following his conquest of India, Emperor Babar faces a crisis of loyalty among his troops and nobles. His most devoted subject, Sardar Sheikh, faces a dilemma when his daughter, Hamida, falls in love with Prince Humayun. Sheikh sends Hamida away, prompting Babar to intervene. However, a great sacrifice is ultimately demanded of the Emperor to save his son and reconcile the conflict.
Nov 1944
The tyrannical Jabbar attacks a village and kidnaps the son of the devout Sayyed, named Iqbal. Raised by his captor, Iqbal becomes a tyrannical commander in Jabbar's army, forcing people to accept Jabbar as their god. During a campaign, he meets a group of "true" religious believers led by Sadiq, his daughter Sadika, and Princess Hamida. Hamida falls in love with Iqbal, much to the dismay of her suitor, Shaddad. As the plot unfolds, Iqbal learns of his true ancestry and is faced with a profound choice.
Feb 1934
A spiritual journey of a young shepherd boy named Dhanna. Despite facing skepticism and challenges from his family and the local Zamindar, Dhanna's unwavering devotion to God leads him to perform miracles and ultimately triumph over adversity, showcasing the power of pure faith.
Dec 1945
A tearful melodrama about a progressive writer, Pushpa (Gohar), and her weak husband, Kulin (Billimoria). She has to fight her domineering mother-in-law and the tyrannies of a conservative household. When falsely accused of theft and infidelity by her wayward sister-in-law Gulab, Pushpa is forced out of the house. In her final state of penury, she recalls the examples of the great female Saint-Poets of Indian history, like Meerabai. Secondary characters are used to caricature Bombay's merchant class e.g. Mahatma Ramanand Adambar, a fortune-teller who suspects his wife of infidelity, and a gold collector called Prof. Pyarelal.
Dec 1935
Betaab's best-known script tells of Radha (Gohar), a carefree rural belle who is supposed to marry childhood friend Gopal, but instead falls in love with a stranger who turns out to be the missing Prince Vijaysingh. When Ihe king despatches soldiers to recover the prince, Vijaysingh discards the pregnant Radha. She is attacked by the villagers for her immorality and eventually appears before the prince, her former lover, in court where she refuses to denounce him. Her child dies, she becomes a prostitute and eventually dies in the arms of the prince.
Mar 1930
A dance-based mythological featuring Shankar (Arun), the triad in the Hindu pantheon (sometimes equated with Dionysus), who dances the Tandava, the dance of destruction, when his wife Sati kills herself after she is humiliated by her father. He then retires into meditation from which he has to be awoken to rid the world of the demon Tarakasura. The seductive powers of Sati, reborn as Parvati (Bose), liven up Shankar but she has to pay for this by doing extensive penance, after which she can be accepted again by her husband as a real wife, partly through the divine intervention of Vishnu.
Apr 1943
A prince, fresh from his foreign education, returns to find his kingdom plagued by intrigues and rigid traditions. Disillusioned, he decides to venture among the poor in search of genuine love and freedom. During his adventures, he meets a simple village maiden, and they fall in love, leading to a series of thrilling and comedic encounters. The film blends this underlying serious theme with a light-hearted, slapstick comedic approach.
Aug 1940
Dhanna and his young daughter Tulsi struggle in poverty until Tulsi, trying to help her sick father, is arrested for theft and sent to jail. She later comes under the care of Dr. Kailash, whose household is held together by Rekha, the prosecuting attorney’s daughter in love with him. As Tulsi’s presence stirs tensions between Rekha and Kailash, the story weaves through themes of love, money, and morality, moving from hardship and conflict toward reconciliation and harmony.
Oct 1940
Gunsundari, the dutiful wife, acts as savior for her troubled joint family. Her father-in-law Shyamaldas battles alcoholism and accusations, while her husband Chandrakant falls prey to villains and a prostitute, losing his property. Gunsundari also aids her sister-in-law Sushila through marital woes, facing personal trouble due to a secret. Destitute, she eventually reunites with a similarly down-on-his-luck Chandrakant on the streets. A coincidence ultimately reveals Shyamaldas left his property to his estranged son, leading to a happy ending.
May 1934
This mythological film is based on the Mahabharata. It depicts the tale of how Savitri (Gohar) saves her husband Satyavan (Bhagwandas) from the clutches of Yama, the god of death.
Jan 1932
Set in 1910, its modern hero, Kanwal (Motilal), invents a ray that records pain and pleasure photographically. His experiments render him blind. Country lass Meera (Shamim) tends to him and they fall in love. Later Meera meets a sage (Shah) who has an expensive magic potion that cures blindness. Unable to afford it, Meera kills the sage, grabs the medicine and goes to Kanwal’s house while all nature protests her actions. There the evil Diwan (Bhagwandas) and his accomplices steal the medicine, cure Kanwal and take the credit. Kanwal, who can now see but does not recognise Meera, accuses her of murder but eventually realises the truth.
Aug 1942
Amar (Bilimoria) and Ila's (Shantakumari) love is disrupteted by the dashing Samar (Ishwarlal). The rivals get embroiled in the Kashmir war and Samar dies in Amar's arms. Amar returns to find that Ila has become an ascetic but they eventually get married.
Feb 1931
Using the moon’s rays, Professor Harnam invents a potion that turns man into a murderous beast. His brother Professor Vaman, realizing the dangers of this invention, realizes the urgent need of producing an antidote to avoid disaster. However, it is too late as Harnam’s daughter drinks the potion during a quarrel with her lover Detective Kishore and the city begins to witness a murder spree amongst its elite and wealthy citizens.
Oct 1938
A sculptor falls for an amnesiac woman found after a bombing, whose strange behavior hides a past that threatens their unconventional romance and a brewing love triangle.
Aug 1946
In this mythological tale, Babruwahan, son of Arjuna, returns from the Mahabharata war. He defiantly stops a horse from his father's army, leading to a battle in which he beheads Arjuna. As he prepares to commit suicide, Krishna appears, instructing him to retrieve the magical Sanjivani Mani from the land of the serpents to revive his father. This quest pits him against Ullupi, the serpent king's daughter and a former wife of Arjuna. When she surrenders the Mani but takes Arjuna's head instead, Krishna is forced to intervene to resolve the situation.
Oct 1934
An early Indian social drama revolving around a visitor or unexpected arrival whose presence impacts the lives of others, likely leading to drama, complications, or revelations within the household.
May 1942