India, July 6 -- It was let to decay - rust adding up on its doors and railings, ceiling fans and iron cupboards. Land prices in Goregaon West have skyrocketed since 1943 when the sprawling Filmistan Studio, with seven shooting floors came up, where once the Sharda Movietone studio stood.

History aggregating with its 'parental' Bombay Talkies, geographically separated by less than three kilometers. After the co-founder Himanshu Rai died in 1940, the emotional and intellectual proximity between Devika Rani, his wife, and producer Sasadhar Mukherjee widened. In 1943, Mukherjee left Bombay Talkies along with the production controller Rai Bahadur Chunilal (music composer Madan Mohan's father), director Gyan Mukherjee and actor Ashok Kumar to...