The extremely beautiful Devika Rani was called ‘First Lady of Indian cinema’ by her fans; her husband Himanshu Rai, on the other hand was one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, an actor par excellence, a star and an astute businessman.

Along with her husband, Himanshu Rai, she also founded Bombay Talkies. Under this banner, they gave a hit film like 'Jawani Ki Hawa'. Himanshu Rai died in 1940 after which Devika Rani ran Bombay Talkies alone. In 1945, she retired from films, married the Russian painter Svetoslav Roerich, and moved to his estate on the outskirts of Bangalore.