Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai shared the first on-screen kiss in Bollywood, in the 1933 film Karma.
This landmark moment in Indian cinema history occurred in Karma, a film produced by Bombay Talkies, a studio co-founded by Rani and Rai, who were also married at the time. The kiss, a significant departure from the prevailing social norms and cinematic conventions, is often cited as the first depiction of intimate physical affection on the Indian screen.
While some historical details regarding early Indian cinema can be debated, the kiss between Devika Rani and Himanshu Rai in Karma remains the most widely recognized and documented "first kiss" within the context of Bollywood's (Hindi cinema's) history.
