Mumbai/New Delhi : In a specially curated film memorabilia auction, DeRivaz&Ives will pay homage to the ‘Feminine Icons’ of Indian cinema, allowing cinephiles to acquire antique mementos of their favourite actresses.
Fearless Nadia, Jayashree, Devika Rani, Noor Jahan, Suraiya, Nargis, Geeta Bali, Bina Rai, Madhabi Mukherjee, Mala Sinha, Suchitra Sen, Shashikala, Sharmila Tagore, Meena Kumari, Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman, Rekha, Jaya Bhaduri, and Sridevi are among the iconic actresses honoured in the auction.
The auction, titled Feminine Icons of Indian Cinema, will take place from November 23rd to November 25th, and will include classic film posters, lobby cards, pictures, and original artworks.
Highlights of the Auction: The original advertising still for The Light of Asia: A extremely rare silver gelatin still from the legendary 1925 Indian silent film starring Himanshu Rai, which depicts numerous women sleeping in a royal garden. On April 27, 1926, George V and his family attended the screening at Windsor Castle in London. It’s also one of the early works of filmmaker Himanshu Rai, who went on to build the legendary and powerful Bombay Talkies company, absorbing the director and his team of German technicians who had worked on this picture.
Devika Rani signed portrait: A black and white portrait photograph of the leading thirties actress Devika Rani with a handwritten message and autograph from the legendary actress, with whom Ashok Kumar made his famous debut in Jeevan Naiya (1936), produced by Bombay Talkies and directed by Franz Osten.
Mughal-e-Azam Lobby Cards: A collection of ten extraordinary big offset photographic lobby cards from the timeless classic starring Madhubala and Dilip Kumar. The K. Asif classic has previously fared extraordinarily well in film auctions, with buyers including Shah Rukh Khan and Anil Kapoor.
A Tarana poster: A lovely half-sheet poster celebrating the Madhubala-Dilip Kumar dynamic from Tarana (1951). The poster was created by S.M. Pandit, one of the best poster designers of Indian cinema, whose work from the 1940s to the 1970s is unrivalled for its distinct style evocative of Baburao Painter’s art. Tarana sparked a relationship between Madhubala and Dilip Kumar that lasted until B.R. Chopra’s Naya Daur (1957), for which she was originally signed.
Original Dus Numbri showcard artwork: A stunning original artwork by acclaimed designer Diwakar Karkare for the show-card of Madan Mohla’s Dus Numbri (1976) – a coveted property for Seventies cinephiles, especially Hema Malini fans.
Other Iconic Posters: The auction also has on offer some diverse and rare posters such as Dahej (1950, featuring Jayashree), Enam (1955, featuring Suraiya), Saqi (1952, featuring a beautiful Madhubala solo portrait artwork), Lajwanti (1958, featuring Nargis), Devi (Sharmila Tagore in her second film as the iconic Devi in Satyajit Ray’s 1960 classic), Dil Tera Diwana (Mala Sinha and Shammi Kapoor in the 1962 romantic comedy), Charulata (the 1981 French release of Satyajit Ray’s iconic 1964 classic), Ghar (a Diwakar designed 1978 Rekha gem produced by N.N. Sippy), Utsav (featuring Rekha and Shashi Kapoor in a brilliant 1984 Diwakar design) and Chandni (the 1985 Yash Chopra classic with Sridevi in title role), and a very exclusive Russia release poster of K.A. Abbas’s Pardesi (1957, featuring Nargis) to name a few.
Designs by the finest poster Artists: The selection includes original vintage artworks, posters, showcards and booklets by some of the best-known designers/design companies, viz. S.M. Pandit, D.R. Bhosle, C. Mohan, PamArt, Studio Diwakar, B. Vishwanath, S. Vilas and many more.
Hema Malini’s debut film showcards: A beautiful set of six first-release showcards with original hand-made collage of silver gelatin photographic prints, poster paint, hand-designed and screen-printed lettering, marking the arrival of ‘Dream Girl’ Hema Malini to the Hindi silver screen with Raj Kapoor in Mahesh Kaul’s Sapnon ka Saudagar (1968).
Hand Colored Lobby Cards of Howrah Bridge: A wonderful set of six hand-coloured tinted offset re-release Lobby Cards of Howrah Bridge (1958) with fascinating images of Madhubala, Ashok Kumar and Helen. The Shakti Samanta classic is famous for its alluring Madhubala number ‘Aaiye meherbaan’.
Talking about the auction, a senior spokesperson at deRivaz&Ives said, “This unique auction follows the success of our Satyajit Ray and Bachchanalia sales, and to be followed shortly by Raj Kapoor@100 in December. Galvanising the market for India’s vintage film arts is critical so as to engage the public in the task of respecting our magnificent cinematic heritage, which has embraced every facet of India’s one-hundred-year-plus journey, from embracing our legends and Gods to all social and political questions to fashioning our sense of style, beauty and family values. With the film music and songs, these artworks are pivotal in keeping alive our glorious cinematic legacy and roots.”
The auction, Feminine Icons of Indian Cinema, by deRivaz&Ives Auction House Pvt. Ltd. comes close on the heels of the Bachchanalia auction, which celebrated Amitabh’s 80th birthday year and received an overwhelming response from bidders from across the world, creating new records.
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About deRivaz&Ives Auction House Pvt Ltd:
deRivaz&Ives is an online auction house specializing in modern and contemporary Indian fine arts, film memorabilia, vintage & classic automobiles, and Indian & Asian antiques dedicated to preserving and showcasing the rich history of Indian art, cinema, and culture.
