Alam Ara: 80 years since Indian Talkies began

Today, Indian movie makers can record their dialogues in the comfort of sound proof recording studios, but 80 years ago, when director Ardeshir Irani was producing the first Indian movie with sound, he had to film past midnight to avoid unwanted sounds. Irani made the first Indian talkie Alam Ara and released it on March 14th 1931, which saw a stampede at the Majestic Cinemas in Bombay.

This Pune based film maker is credited with Alam Ara for bringing talkies to India, just four years after the introduction of talking movies in America. Though the credit stands, there is not a single copy of Alam Ara after the last prints of the movie were destroyed in a fire in 2003 at the National Film Archives, Pune. The Indian Government till this day regularly advertises to seek anyone who might have a copy of the movie.

Alam Ara was based on a play by Joseph David about a king and his two wives who compete with each other to give birth to the kingdom's heir. The tale, mixed with romance, infidelity and action, was a treat to the ears with its evergreen songs. One among them was the 'De De Khuda Ke Naam Par' which is the mother of all Indian songs. Alam Ara, which means 'The light of the world' in Urdu, was truly instrumental in bringing light and 'sound' to Indian cinema.

The first Tamil talkie also came in 1931.