Alam Ara – the very first talking movie, shifted the culture from the silent era to the talking era. This movie was directed by Ardeshir Irani, who was born in Pune in 1886. Irani grew up in Mumbai and initially ran a musical instruments shop. His entry into the film industry was accidental but led to massive success. By 1926, Irani was a prominent producer of Indian films, known for his talent, drive, and vision to succeed.
The Leap to Sound
By 1926, Irani was among the filmmakers competing to grab the audience’s attention. But when sound made its way, he was the first to leap at the technique. He produced Alam Ara, which changed the course of Indian cinema forever. The film was a huge success, launching the careers of many film stars and paving the way for upcoming filmmakers.
Inspiration from Hollywood
Now the question arises, where did Ardeshir Irani get the inspiration for this? Irani got the inspiration for Alam Ara from Hollywood. He watched the Hollywood film Show Boat at Mumbai’s Excelsior Cinema in 1929.
Overcoming Language Barriers
The very first problem of this film was the language. To break the chain, Irani decided to make the film in Hindustani (a mixture of Hindi and Urdu) instead of regional languages like Marathi or Gujarati, as he thought this language would reach a wider audience and shape the industry.
A Unique Plot
Furthermore, the next thing was the plot. As we know, the silent era was mostly related to mythological aspects; however, Irani wanted something exceptional. He experimented and decided that the movie would be based on the famous play written by the prominent Baghdadi Jew dramatist Joseph David, who lived in Mumbai. The play was ‘Alam Ara’ – a daring tale of warring queens, palace intrigues, and romance.
Innovative Casting Choices
For the casting, Irani wanted to improvise. Before Alam Ara, the silent era had Anglo-Indian actresses; however, in this talking movie, he faced difficulties. The difficulty was they couldn’t speak Hindustani, or even if they did, the accent was not up to the mark. Due to this, Irani had to look beyond his studio’s top actress Sulochana (Ruby Myers) and opt for a young actress named Zubeida. For the male lead, his first choice was Mehboob Khan, the director of the classic movie Mother India. But eventually, he moved toward a more commercialized star – Marathi stuntman Master Vithal. The role of the villain was played by none other than Prithviraj Kapoor. The cast also included L V Prasad, who later became a rage in the south.
Challenges in Filming
The next task was the actual shooting of the movie. The studio in Grant Road, Mumbai, where the film was recorded, overlooked the railway tracks. As there was no soundproofing, they needed to shoot at night, which was quite uncomfortable. Large microphones needed to be placed in the costumes of the actors, or the props, or things near the actors to capture their dialogues, in such a manner that they were not seen on camera. As easy as it is now, it was hard back then. Harmonium and tabla players were hidden behind trees for musical support without being seen on camera.
Introduction of Playback Singing
Alam Ara was also the first movie to introduce playback singing in India. Interestingly, one of the songs, De De Khuda Ke Naam Par, was sung by Wazir Muhammad Khan, a curious neighborhood watchman! Irani hired him because of his coarse voice, which he felt was perfect as the voice of a fakir. Besides this, the film had six other songs.
A Historic Release
Not surprisingly, silent movies usually took one month to complete, but Alam Ara took four months to complete. The very first talking movie of Indian cinema was released on 14th March 1931 at Majestic Cinema in Bombay. It was advertised with the English tagline, ‘All living. Breathing. 100 per cent talking’ and a Hindi punchline, ‘78 murde insaan zinda ho gaye. Unko bolte dekho?’
The Impact and Legacy
Alam Ara was a breakthrough for audiences who had never witnessed people speaking on screen. The movie tickets, which usually cost 4 annas, were selling for 4-5 rupees in black. The theatres were houseful for almost 8 weeks, and police had to be called to manage the crowds. Sadly, today no copy of this film exists. All we are left with to remember India’s pioneering film are a few stills.
Ardeshir Irani’s Later Years
Following Alam Ara’s success, Ardeshir Irani went on to make films until 1945, after which he went into graceful retirement. He passed away in 1969 at the age of 82.
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