Although the majority of Indian films from the silent era are lost or missing, we can still get a feel for them through old movie magazines. Below are a handful of film stills published in the March 1930 issue of The Movie Show which covered both Indian and “foreign” films.

Royal Pictures Corporation released EMPEROR ASHOKA in 1928. It starred Udwadia, Zubeida, and Jillo.

DIVINE DOWRY (1929) [aka DEHAN DAN] Ranjit Movietone
Putli and Inamdar in DIVINE DOWRY (1929) – Ranjit Movietone

Sagar Movietone’s 1930 adventure film CONQUEROR (aka VEER NA VER) starred popular action star Master Vithal.

Vaze and Nurjehan in Kohinoor Film Company’s 1930 release GULENAR (or GUL-E-NAR)

Baburao Apte and Miss Heera in Kohinoor Film Company’s GAMBLER (1930) aka JUGAL JUGARI.

Zebunissa and Nandram in WRONGED WIFE (1930) [aka RAJPUT RAMANI] Sharda Films

Gohar and D. Billimoria in MY DARLING (1930) [aka DIWANI DILAR] from Ranjit Movietone

Sagar Movietone’s 1930 thriller DEV PECH [aka THE WEB] featuring Master Vithal and Gohar Jr.

Sulochana and Jal Merchant in FATHER INDIA (1930) from Imperial Film Company

LANKA DAHAN [aka RAM DOOTA] was a mythological produced by General Pictures Corporation, a film company based in Madras. The film starred T.S. Mani, Devika, and M.V. Raju.

Zebunissa delivers a dramatic pose in this still from Sharda Film Company’s THE WRONGED WIFE (1930) aka RAJPUT RAMANI

Enakshi Rama Rau and J.K. Nanda in a scene from Indian Art Productions’ VASANTSENA (1930) directed by M.D. Bhavnani