Kisan Kanya the forgotten film that brought colour to Indian screens in 1937

Released in 1937, Kisan Kanya is credited as the first indigenous colour film made in India. Directed by Moti B. Gidwani and produced by Ardeshir Irani (who had earlier made India’s first talkie Alam Ara), this film marked a turning point for Indian cinema’s visual storytelling.

The film was processed using the Cinecolor technique, for which the equipment and technology had to be imported from Germany. At the time, shooting and processing a colour movie was a logistical and financial challenge. The film reels were sent abroad for processing before returning to India for editing and release.

Kisan Kanya translates to The Farmer’s Daughter. The film focused on the plight of poor farmers and the struggles of rural communities—subjects that were ahead of their time in mainstream cinema. While the colour visuals were a sensation, the socially conscious storyline also drew attention.

Due to the high expense of making colour prints, Kisan Kanya had a limited release compared to black-and-white films of the era. The cost of colour production meant only a few theatres could show it, making it more of a milestone than a blockbuster.

Though Kisan Kanya was not a massive commercial hit, it opened the door for filmmakers to experiment with colour. It set the stage for future classics like Aan (1952), India’s first technicolor blockbuster, and inspired the industry to imagine richer visual storytelling. Today, Kisan Kanya is celebrated as the film that brought Indian audiences their first glimpse of cinema in colour.