&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Did you know? This was the first film to release on 15 August 1947 | Independence Day special")
India is all set to celebrate its 80th Independence Day on August 15, 2026. In the eight decades since freedom, the country has grown in every aspect of society. But today, we talk about cinema.
As we celebrate Independence Day, we turn the pages of history to revisit one of the earliest films of Independent India. And, did you know which was one of the first Bollywood films to release after India got independence? It’s Shehnai.
Did you know? This was the first film to release on 15 August 1947
Released on Aug 15, 1947, the movie stars Kishore Kumar, Rehana, Indumati, Nasir Khan, V.H. Desai and others. The movie is remembered for its songs and marking the start of a new era in Indian cinema.
Directed by PL Santoshi, Shehnai was the first movie to release in free India after the country got it's freedom from nearly 200 years of British rule.
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Poster of Shehnai Photograph: (X)
Just like the title, the movie revolved around the musical world, with the story revolving around a struggling entertainer (played by Desai) who runs a music and dance troupe with his daughters. But during this time, their mother thinks that this work is bringing disrespect to her girls. The movie also follows the love lives of the girls.
With music by C. Ramchandra and lyrics by Santoshi himself, the movie has songs, including, ''Jai Krisna Hare Shre Krishna Hare,'' "Tirchi Topi Walo Se Ha Bachh Ke Rehna Ji'' and others.
Back then, it reportedly earned under Rs 1 crore at the box office. But was this movie a hit? Yes, but not the highest-grossing movie of the year. Contemporary accounts tell that the movie had a silver jubilee run (25 weeks) in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow and Kanpur. Released on the momentous moment of Independence, it had long queues outside theatres for days.
This musical did well at the box office. But as we mentioned earlier, it was not the highest-grossing film of 1947. The title goes to Jugnu. Starring Dilip Kumar and Nargis, the film released in November 1947. It ran for 50+ weeks and was one of the biggest hits of that year. The other major hits of the year were Do Bhai, Dard, and Mirza Sahibaan.
