When Indian cinema first went nationwide — And made ₹4 crore in 1948

Long before the term pan-India was coined, a filmmaker dared to dream big. In the aftermath of India's independence, S.S. Vasan took a bold step — creating a film intended not just for one region, but for the entire nation. With a staggering budget of ₹30 lakh (an astronomical figure at the time), he began crafting what would soon become a cinematic spectacle that shattered every conventional boundary.