Alam Ara
Year: 1931
Director: Ardeshir Irani
Producer: Imperial movie tone
Cast: Master Vithal, Zubeida, Jillo, J Sushila, Prithviraj Kapoor
Music: Ferozshah M Mistri, B Irani
Alam Ara, as we know it was our first talkie. When it was first released on March 14, 1931 at Majestic cinema in Mumbai, police had to be brought in to control the crowds. This Ardeshir Irani film had many firsts to its name. The first song of Indian cinema, Dil de khuda ke naam par, was sung by Wazir Mohammed Khan. It was recorded live (Khan played a fakir in the film) as there was no playback then. The period film was mostly shot at night to avoid modern daytime ambient sounds. Hence, Alam Ara also started the tradition of shooting under studio lights. Hidden microphones were used to record the voices of the actors. Incidentally, two actors connected with the film, Prithviraj Kapoor and LV Prasad, went on to become giants in their own right. Both were awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (Kapoor posthumously in 1972 and Prasad in 1982) for their immense contribution to Indian cinema.
DID YOU KNOW?
1.The last known print of this film was destroyed in a fire at the National Archives of India, Pune, in 2003.
2. Director Mehboob Khan was briefly considered for the male lead’s role, which finally went to Master Vithal.
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