Osian's Auction Catalogue The Osianama Series |February 2013

181 INDIAN CINEMA POST 1942 97 a. John Cawas & Fearless Nadia in Circuswale  1950 Basant Pictures / Balwant Bhatt Print on photographic paper mounted on lobbycard (PHL) 9.7 x 11.8 in (24.6 x 30.0 cm) b. Fearless Nadia in Tigress  1948 Basant Pictures / K. Talpade Photographic collage & montage mounted on cardboard (SHW) 14.6 x 29.1 in (37.0 x 74.0 cm) Provenance Private Mumbai-based Collection ` 25,000 – 50,000 US$ 450 – 900 Lot of 2 Fearless Nadia/ Mary Evans was India’s first action star, who stormed the box-office in 1935 and created the Hunterwali legend which lasted all the way till the fifties. The fact that she was an Australian migrant with a Scottish descent made her a unique success on the Indian silver screen. 98 a. Ranjan & T.R. Rajkumari in Chandralekha  1948 Gemini Pictures / S. S. Vasan Print on paper (POS) 29.5 x 20.1 in (75.0 x 51.0 cm) b. Vyjayantimala & Padmini in Raj Tilak  1958 Gemini Pictures / S. S. Vasan Print on paper (POS) 40.2 x 29.5 in (102.0 x 75.0 cm) Provenance Private Mumbai-based Collection ` 25,000 – 50,000 US$ 450 – 900 Lot of 2 S S Vasan’s Chandralekha was the costliest film of its time and took five years to make. It had grandeur, sword-fights and spectacular visuals. It was also the first south-Indian film to storm the box-office country-wide.