Najma (1943)

Najma is a 1943 Muslim social, a genre of family dramas set in the refined world of north Indian Muslim households, with their codes of honour, purdah and arranged marriages. Ashok Kumar, then the biggest star of Hindi cinema, plays the romantic lead opposite Veena, with the dancer Sitara Devi in the cast. The film was the first production of Mehboob Productions, the company Mehboob Khan founded after leaving the Sagar and National studios, and which later made Andaz, Aan and Mother India. That makes Najma an important first step in the career of one of India's great filmmakers.