Alam Ara
Encyclopedia
Alam Ara is a 1931 film directed by Ardeshir Irani
. It was the first Indian
sound film
.
Irani recognized the importance that sound would have on the cinema, and raced to complete Alam Ara before several contemporary sound films. Alam Ara debuted at the Majestic Cinema in Mumbai
(then Bombay) on March 14, 1931. The first Indian talkie was so popular that "police aid had to be summoned to control the crowds."
The film is a love story between a prince and a gypsy girl, based on a Parsi play written by Joseph David. David later served as a writer at Irani's film company. The story centers on an imaginary, historical royal family in the kingdom of Kumarpur. The main characters are the king and his two warring wives Dilbahar and Navbahar. Their rivalry escalates when a fakir
predicts that Navbahar will bear the king's heir. Dilbahar, in revenge, attempts to have an affair with the kingdom's chief minister Adil. The affair goes sour and a vengeful Dilbahar imprisons him and exiles his daughter, Alam Ara (Zubeida
). In exile, Alam Ara is brought up by Gypsies. Upon returning to the palace at Kumarpur, Alam Ara meets and falls in love with the charming young prince (Master Vithal). In the end, Adil is released, Dilbahar is punished and the lovers marry.
After the fire at National Film Archive of India
, Pune
, in 2003, which destroyed the last surviving prints of several classics such as Raja Harishchandra
and Achhut Kanya
, this film is no longer available in its original format.
Both the movie and its music were widely successful, including the hit song De de khuda ke naam per, which was also the first song of the Indian cinema, and was sung by actor Wazir Mohammed Khan who played a fakir
in the film. As playback singing had yet to start in Indian cinema, it was recorded live with musical accompaniment of a harmonium and a tabla.
The film also marked the beginning of filmi
music in the Cinema of India
, as noted film director Shyam Benegal
said, "It was not just a talkie. It was a talking and singing film with more singing and less talking. It had a number of songs and that actually set the template for the kind of films that were made later".
's Show Boat
(1929), released by Universal Pictures
.
The film had music by Ferozshah M. Mistri and B. Irani, and had seven songs:
Ardeshir Irani
Khan Bahadur Ardeshir Irani ; popularly known as Ardeshir Irani, was a writer, director, producer, actor, film distributor, film showman and cinematographer in the silent and sound eras of early Indian cinema. He was renowned for making films in Hindi, Telugu, English, German, Indonesian, Persian,...
. It was the first Indian
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
sound film
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
.
Irani recognized the importance that sound would have on the cinema, and raced to complete Alam Ara before several contemporary sound films. Alam Ara debuted at the Majestic Cinema in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(then Bombay) on March 14, 1931. The first Indian talkie was so popular that "police aid had to be summoned to control the crowds."
Synopsis
Fakir
The fakir or faqir ; ) Derived from faqr is a Muslim Sufi ascetic in Middle East and South Asia. The Faqirs were wandering Dervishes teaching Islam and living on alms....
predicts that Navbahar will bear the king's heir. Dilbahar, in revenge, attempts to have an affair with the kingdom's chief minister Adil. The affair goes sour and a vengeful Dilbahar imprisons him and exiles his daughter, Alam Ara (Zubeida
Zubeida
Zubeida Begum Dhanrajgir was an Indian film actress. She acted in the first Indian talkie movie Alam Ara . Her credits include early hits Devdas , and Sagar Movietone's first talkie, Meri Jaan....
). In exile, Alam Ara is brought up by Gypsies. Upon returning to the palace at Kumarpur, Alam Ara meets and falls in love with the charming young prince (Master Vithal). In the end, Adil is released, Dilbahar is punished and the lovers marry.
After the fire at National Film Archive of India
National Film Archive of India
The National Film Archive of India was established as a media unit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in February 1964. Its three principal objectives are* To trace, acquire and preserve for posterity the heritage of Indian cinema;...
, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, in 2003, which destroyed the last surviving prints of several classics such as Raja Harishchandra
Raja Harishchandra
Raja Harishchandra , is a 1913 silent Indian film directed and produced by Dadasaheb Phalke, and is the first full-length Indian feature film...
and Achhut Kanya
Achhut Kanya
Achhoot Kanya is a 1936 Hindi film. Among the early super-hits in the Bombay film industry, the film deals with the social position of Dalit girls and is considered a reformist period-piece.The film was one of several successful Bombay Talkies collaborations between Franz Osten, Niranjan Pal,...
, this film is no longer available in its original format.
Cast
- Master Vithal
- ZubeidaZubeidaZubeida Begum Dhanrajgir was an Indian film actress. She acted in the first Indian talkie movie Alam Ara . Her credits include early hits Devdas , and Sagar Movietone's first talkie, Meri Jaan....
as Alam Ara - Jillo
- J. Sushila (as Sushila)
- Prithviraj KapoorPrithviraj KapoorPrithviraj Kapoor , 3 November 1906 – 29 May 1972) was a pioneer of Indian theatre and of the Hindi film industry, who started his career as an actor, in the silent era of Hindi cinema, associated with IPTA and who founded Prithvi Theatres, a travelling theatre company based in Mumbai, in...
=(After his death in 1972, he was posthumously awarded theDADASAHEB PHALKE AWARD for the year 1971 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.). - Elizer
- Wazir Mohammed Khan
- Jagdish SethiJagdish SethiJagdish Sethi is an Indian actor. He has starred in more than 50 films. Sethi also directed one film, Do Dil .- Incomplete filmography :* Jagdish [[Sethi]] is an [[India]]n actor. He has starred in more than 50 films...
- L.V. Prasad=(In the year 1982 he was awarded the DADASAHEB PHALKE AWARDfor lifetime contribution to cinema)
Significance
Fakir
The fakir or faqir ; ) Derived from faqr is a Muslim Sufi ascetic in Middle East and South Asia. The Faqirs were wandering Dervishes teaching Islam and living on alms....
in the film. As playback singing had yet to start in Indian cinema, it was recorded live with musical accompaniment of a harmonium and a tabla.
The film also marked the beginning of filmi
Filmi
Filmi is Indian popular music as written and performed for Indian cinema. Music directors make up the main body of composers; the songs are performed by playback singers and it makes up 72% of the music sales in India....
music in the Cinema of India
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
, as noted film director Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal is a prolific Indian director and screenwriter. With his first four feature films Ankur , Nishant Manthan and Bhumika he created a new genre, which has now come to be called the "middle cinema" in India although he himself has expressed dislike in the term preferring his work to...
said, "It was not just a talkie. It was a talking and singing film with more singing and less talking. It had a number of songs and that actually set the template for the kind of films that were made later".
Production
Ardeshir Irani handled the sound recording department, using the Tanar Sound System. It was shot with the Tanar single-system camera, which recorded sound directly onto the film. Since there were no soundproof studios available at the time, the shooting was done mostly at night, to avoid daytime noises, with microphones hidden near the actors.Influences
The film was inspired by the first movie version of Jerome KernJerome Kern
Jerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A...
's Show Boat
Show Boat (1929 film)
Show Boat is a film based on the novel by Edna Ferber. This version was released by Universal in two editions, one a silent film for movie theatres still not equipped for sound, and one a part-talkie with a sound prologue...
(1929), released by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
.
Soundtrack
- De de khuda ke naam pe: Wazir Mohammed Khan
- Badla Dilwayega Ya Rabb: ZubeidaZubeidaZubeida Begum Dhanrajgir was an Indian film actress. She acted in the first Indian talkie movie Alam Ara . Her credits include early hits Devdas , and Sagar Movietone's first talkie, Meri Jaan....
- Rutha Hai Asman gum ho gaya mahatab: Jillu
- Teri Kaatil nigahon ne mara
- De dil ko aaram aye saki gulfam
- Bhar bhar ke jam pila ja sagar ke chalane bala
- Daras bina mare hai tarse naina pyare