Sabita Devi

Sabita Devi (1914–1965) was a Hindi film actress in Indian cinema.

She is stated to be one of the "prominent" leading ladies of the "pioneering era" of Indian cinema along with Mehtab, Bibbo, Durga Khote, Gohar, Devika Rani and Seeta Devi.

A Jewish by birth, she changed her name to find acceptability in Hindi cinema like the other Anglo-Indian and Jewish actresses of her time, Sulochana (Ruby Myers), Seeta Devi (Renee Smith), Madhuri (Beryl Claessen), and Manorama (Erin Daniels).

After initially working with British Dominion Films Ltd., Calcutta, she shifted to Bombay and performed mainly in films produced by Sagar Movietone with her co-star in most films being Motilal.

Her first film Kamaner Aagun (Flames Of The Flesh) was produced by British Dominion Films Ltd., Calcutta, in 1930.

It was directed by Dinesh Ranjan Das and co-starred Dhirendranath Ganguly, Debaki Bose, Ramola Devi and Radharani.

The film was a semi-historical version of the Queen of Chittor, Rani Padmini, committing jauhar to evade the enemy forces.

In 1931, Sabita acted in Aparadhi (The Culprit) a social, written and directed by Debaki Bose, starring P. C. Barua, Bhanu Bannerjee, Tincory Chakrabarty, Keshav Narayan Kale, Rampyari and Rose.

It was a silent film made under the banner of Barua Film Unit, Calcutta.

Her other silent films from this time include Takay Ki Na Hay (What Money Cannot Do) (1931) was directed by Dhirendranath Ganguly and produced by British Dominion Films Ltd., Calcutta.

It starred Dhirendranath Ganguly, P. C. Barua and Radharani.

Maraner Pare (After The Death) (1931) directed by A. K. Roy for British Dominion Films Ltd., Calcutta and co-starred Dhirendranath Ganguly, Hem Gupta, Radharani and Kalidas.

Bhagya Lakshmi (Wife's Destiny) (1932) directed by Kali Prasad Ghose with co-stars P. C. Barua, Durgadas Bannerjee, Khitish Roy Choudhary, Umasashi, Biren Ghosh and produced by Indian Kinema Arts, Calcutta.

In 1933, she was cast in a religious film, Radha Krishna, directed by Priyanath N. Ganguly and Tulsi Lahiri.

Her co-stars were Dhiraj Bhattacharya, Indubala, Amar Choudhary and Kamala Jharia.

An East India Film Company production, it had music by Sunderdas Bhatia.

Their first film together was Shaher Ka Jadoo (1934), which was also Motilal's debut film, and then Lagna Bandhan (1936) both directed by Kaliprasad Ghosh.

Shaher Ka Jadoo in 1934 was a debut acting film for Motilal and was written and directed by Kali Prasad Ghose.

The main stars in this social were Sabita, Kumar, Sitara Devi, K. C. Dey, Miss Gulzar and Tarabai.

The film was produced by Sagar Movietone.

She then acted in Ezra Mir's Farzande Hind also called Phantom of the Hills, an action drama film.

The film starred Sabita with Jal Merchant, Yakub, Nyampally.

Produced by Sagar, the music was composed by S. P. Rane.

Grihalakshmi (Educated Wife) (1934) was an early woman-centric film and was a remake of the earlier silent film Bhaneli Bhamini (1927).

Directed by Sarvottam Badami, it was produced by Sagar and had music by S. P. Rane.

Some of the popular films with Motilal were Dr. Madhurika (1935) and Kulvadhu (1937) directed by Sarvottam Badami.

She acted in Silver King (1935) with Motilal.

It was an action film directed by C. M. Luhar, which became a "huge success".

From 1935–1943 Sabita acted in fifteen films, all directed by Badami.

Counted as one of the top three female artistes of her time, in 1938 she was the third highest paid actress after Sulochana (Ruby Myers) and Gohar, drawing a salary of Rs.

3000 per month.

"Classic writers like K. M. Munshi and Ramanlal Vasantlal" were commissioned to write stories for her films, with elaborate sets and "special rehearsals" provided along with an overwhelming "pre-release publicity".

One of the top directors of the time she worked with doing social genre films was Sarvottam Badami.

She formed her own production company, Sudama Pictures, in collaboration with Sarvottam Badami along with the assistance of Ranjit Studios.

Her father Percy Osborne Gasper, died in November 1938, in Bombay.

Her mother remained as her manager-cum-companion.

Sabita had two siblings, a brother and a sister.

Some of the comedy films she acted in like Aap Ki Marzi (1939) and Ladies Only (1939), turned out to be big box office successes.

Sabita Devi was born Iris Gasper into a Jewish family.

Kanthahaar (Diamond Necklace) (1939) was directed by Kali Prasad Ghose for Indian Kinema Arts, Calcutta and starred Durgadas Bannerjee, Rajhans and Renubala.