Duniya Na Mane - 1937

Duniya Na Mane, released in 1937, was produced by Prabhat Filmsand and directed by V. Shantaram. Shanta Apte and Keshavrao Date appear in the lead roles.

The story points finger against dowry menace and old men marrying young girls. The film was also made in Marathi as Kunku. Credited as the best social movie ever made, Duniya Na Mane is one of the early Hindi films that deals with morals and values. The film is a scathing criticism on the way womenfolks are treated in Indian society.

What makes the film truly different is that it was the first Hindi film in which natural sounds were used instead of background music. For some songs gramophone plates of instrumental music are shown as playing in the visual and the artist sings along with the music.

Music was done by Keshavrao Bhole. Film is also remembered for the immortal songs by Shanta Apte. For the first time a full length English song is included in the film – ‘ A psalm of life’ written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.