Khazanchi - 1941

Directed by Moti B. Gidwani and produced by D.M. Pancholi, Khazanchi, a 1941 pre-partition blockbuster that is remembered more for its music than for the story or the cast.

The renowned music composer Ghulam Haider did a daring experiment in this film by fusing popular ragas from Indian classical music with the verve and rhythm of Punjabi folk music. This hybrid style later became a dominant part of Hindi film. Ghulam Haider is said to have introduced singers Noorjehan and Lata Mangeshkar.

The story, which is a murder mystery, pivots around a Khazanji (cashier) who gets charged with a murder by mistake. The movie features M. Ismail, S.D. Narang, Ramola Devi and Durga Mota in lead roles and was the biggest hit and the top earner of 1941.