''Harishchandra'' (also listed as ''Satya Harischandra'') is a 1951 Indian Nepali-language film based on the story of the legendary king

Harischandra Harishchandra () is a legendary king of the Solar dynasty, who appears in several legends in texts such as the '' Aitareya Brahmana'', ''Mahabharata'', the ''Markandeya Purana'', and the ''Devi Bhagavata Purana''. The most famous of these stori ...

from

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...

. It was directed by Sangh Rathi and produced by T. P. Chaurasia and S. P. Mookherji under the "

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

National Movietone" banner on the initiative of D. B. Pariyar in

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

and

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...

, India. It is the first Nepali-language film, the first Nepali-language film made in Nepal being '' Aama'', which released in 1964 and was produced by the Nepalese government. It was Pariyar's initiative that made it possible for the Nepali-language to be a part of the big screen for the first time. Since it was more crucial to take Nepali language to cinema at that time, Nepali speakers involved in making it happen were more focused only on the language aspect of it, as a result correct credits and other technical aspects with historical significance were overlooked. The film is considered to be lost, only a poster that surfaced in 2015 testifying to its existence.

Cast

Prem Nazir Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 6 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading man, leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the hist ...

Harishchandra Harishchandra () is a legendary king of the Solar dynasty, who appears in several legends in texts such as the ''Aitareya Brahmana'', ''Mahabharata'', the ''Markandeya Purana'', and the ''Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Devi Bhagavata Purana''. The most ...

* Chandra Kanta as

Taramati Shaivya (, also spelt Shaibya), also known as Taramati (), is a queen in Hindu mythology, best known as the wife of King Harishchandra of Ayodhya and mother of his sole heir, Rohitashva. Her story particularly appears in the Sanskrit texts ''Mark ...

* Sheela Devi as

Menaka Menaka ( ) is a prominent figure in Hindu mythology, celebrated as one of the most beautiful apsaras (celestial nymphs) in the court of Indra, the king of the gods. She is frequently sent by the gods to disturb the penance of sages whose growin ...

* B. B. Pariyar as Rishi Vishwamitra

References

{{reflist 1951 films 1950s Indian films 1950s lost films Cultural depictions of Indian monarchs Films about Raja Harishchandra Films about royalty Films based on the Mahabharata Films set in ancient India Films shot in Darjeeling Films shot in Kolkata Hindu devotional films Hindu mythological films Indian mythology in popular culture Lost Indian films Nepalese black-and-white films Nepali-language films