Mayurpankh (1954)

Mayurpankh, 'the peacock feather', is a 1954 Hindi romance directed by and starring Kishore Sahu, with Bengali star Sumitra Devi. The story follows visitors touring India and the people they meet, as a journey through the country's sights becomes a quiet tangle of attraction and longing. Sahu, one of the more cosmopolitan filmmakers of his day, made it with an eye on audiences beyond India, and Mayurpankh was selected for the competition at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival, an early showcase for Indian cinema there. The songs are by Shankar-Jaikishan, then at the height of their fame. It is a rare, gentle period piece for viewers interested in 1950s Hindi cinema.