Lanka Ni Laadi (1925)

This fantasy, with overtones of Greek legend, is Gohar's first major hit and grossed more than any other film in 1925. The story is set in Lanka, present-day Sri Lanka and a site for some of the most important action of the Ramayana epic. The king is told that he will be killed by his grandson and that his daughter will marry a brave shepherd. When bandits come to steal cows from the royal park, the princess (Gohar) gives chase and is helped by a passing shepherd (Khalil). They fall in love and the shepherd claims her hand in marriage. The king then sends the shepherd on a series of dangerous adventures around the globe, hoping that he will die. However, the shepherd cures the ailing king of neighbouring Ghoga and is declared the heir to the kingdom, an event that enables the union of the couple and the realisation of the two predictions. The highlight is said to be a scene where the wounded shepherd is fed milk by a lioness.