“ALAM ARA” THE FIRST TALKIE OF SUBCONTINENT
By Raju Jamil
“ALAM ARA” was just not a movie----it is a legend. Movie history records it as the FIRST Urdu talkie of the Sub-continent.
**It is said that “Alam ara” was released on 14th March-1931 at the Majestic Cinema in Bombay, narrowly ahead of ** Madan Theatres “Shirin Farhad”.
**It was advertised as “ ALL LIVING, BREATHING, 100% TALKING PEAK DRAMA, ESSENCE OF ROMANCE, BRAINS AND TALENTS UNHEARD OF UNDER ONE BANNER” . **
The film had the first ever singer W. M. Khan, the first hit number “ De de Khuda Kay Naam Pe” (then a big favorite with beggars ) amongst it’s 10 odd songs, a real life princess Zubeida ( Khala of Pakistan’s film Heroine of yester-years Jamila Razzaq now Jamila Hasan wife of former Test Cricketer Vaqar Hasan and mother of famous make-up artiste Laiqa Hasan ) as heroine, the handsome Master Vithal as hero and Prithivraj Kapoor as villain. Director / Producer Ardeshir Irani made the film “Alam Ara” inspired by the English film “Showboat”.
There were huge crowds outside the theatre. Tickets were sold in black. According to reports, Police was called in to control four anna ticket being sold for Rs. 4 and 5. ( That’s Rs.5000/- or more of today ).
**My dad who saw this movie in 1944, says that the audience went crazy over “Alam Ara” and the film-world hasn’t stopped talking **
**about “Alam Ara” since then. **
But tragically and typical disdain for history----no print of THAT version/film exists.
was the first full-length Indian feature film. It is a 1913 silent Indian film directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, based on the legend of Harishchandra, recounted in Ramayana and Mahabharata. Phalke was greatly influenced by the style of painter Raja Ravi Verma in the making of this film.
Dadasaaheb Phalke was born in 1870 in Trymbakeshwar in Nasik. He was born to a Sanskrit scholar, he studied at J.J. college of Art in Bombay and at Kala Bhavan, Baroda. He then studied architecture and became landscape painter of academic nature studies. He worked in a photographic studio and at Ratlam learned three-colour block making and ceramics. He then worked as a portrait photographer, stage make-up man, assistant to a German illusionist and as a magician! He was offered backing to start an Art Printing Press and his backers to acquaint him with the latest printing process arranged for him to go to Germany provided that he remain with the company. But by the time Phalke returned he knew that a printing career would not satisfy him. He raised loan from his friend and pledging his life insurance, Phalke went to England in 1912 to purchase the necessary equipment and acquaint himself with the technical aspects of filmmaking. When he returned from London he launched Raja Harishchandra about an honest king who for the sake of his principles sacrifices his kingdom and family before the gods impressed with his honesty restore him to his former glory and this movie was released in 1913. Later he produced Mohini Bhasmasur (1913),Satyavan Savitri (1914), Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janam (1918) and Kaliya Madan (1919). Due to changing tastes of movies and extreme commercialised atmosphere in film world, Phalke retired. Later in 1937 he produced Gangavataram (1937), but he had lost his magic. He died in Nasik, a forgotten man. But today he is considered as a pioneer of Indian cinema and a prestigious Indian film industry award is named after him.
NO ! and wikipedia has immense material which is contrary to the history at some points!
ALAM ARA lost its momentum because its original print could not not be maintained. There were re-makes but the class the original one had... was altogether different!
My submission came on certain facts I gathered from those few..living legends..who have a close touch with ALAM ARA having watched the movie themselves..and the legends I have discuseed ALAM ARA with...are; Dilip Kumar (during his 1978 Bahrain visit), Dev Anand during his visit to my Dad at Akhtarul Imaan's house in Mumbai and my personal interaction with Hema Malini and Rekha in Dubai (1986-87).