Devika was now the acknowledged boss of Bombay Talkies. The years of suffering and abuse were behind her. At last she was being valued for ...
Devika was now the acknowledged boss of Bombay Talkies. The years of suffering and abuse were behind her. At last she was being valued for her own hard work as the head of the studio – not because she was Himansu’s wife. Along with her acting skills, her management skills also came to the fore.
When questions were raised by shareholders of Bombay Talkies as to why the resignations of so many of their leading artistes (including Ashok Kumar) and technicians had been promptly accepted by HIT, a carefully drafted note was submitted on 27 January 1943 addressed to the chairman of Bombay Talkies, by HIT, the managing agents.
The good news for Devika was that from 1943 onwards her salary and bonuses were regularly increased. On 29 December 1943 she received a New Year gift of a bonus of Rs 20,000, from the board of directors of Bombay Talkies, ‘as a token of the Company’s appreciation of the meritorious services rendered by you to the Company’. After years of struggling to make herself financially independent, Devika at last felt her true worth was being recognised.
On 29 December 1943, the ever-obliging Keshavlal increased her salary from Rs 1,600 to Rs 2,750 per month with an...
