Basant (film)
| Basant | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Amiya Chakrabarty |
| Written by | Amiya Chakrabarty |
| Produced by | Bombay Talkies |
| Starring | Mumtaz Shanti Madhubala Ulhas Kanu Roy |
| Cinematography | R.D. Mathur |
| Edited by | R.G. Gope |
| Music by | Pannalal Ghosh |
Release date |
|
Running time | 146 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindustani |
Basant (transl. Spring) is a 1942 pre-partition Indian romantic musical film directed by Amiya Chakrabarty, produced by Bombay Talkies and starring Mumtaz Shanti and Madhubala along with Ulhas.
Basant marked the Hindi film debut of Mumtaz Shanti, who was already a celebrated star in Punjabi film industry. However, the film is largely remembered as the first screen appearance of 'Baby Madhubala', who played an uncredited role of daughter to Shanti and later became a leading star in the 1950s and early 1960s.
The film was theatrically released on 29 July 1942 and was praised by critics for the performances of actors, music and direction. It was the highest-grossing Indian film at the time of its release and the highest-grossing Indian film of 1942. The film had a 76-week run in the theatres.
As of 2021, Basant remains one of the fifty highest-grossing Indian films in the history (when adjusted for inflation).