MORE ARA FOR ALAM
Last week Google’s doodle commemorated India’s first talkie, Alam Ara, turning it into one of online’s hottest hits of the day.
Made 80 years ago, our country’s first ‘all singing, talking and dancing’ movie seems to have been silenced forever, since, it’s last existing print perished in a fire at the National Film Archives of India, 2003.
A milestone for Bollywood, this movie that also set the hallmark for popular Indian cinema with the song and dance routine has another strong Surti connect besides its heroine Zubeida.
“Alam Ara was an instant runaway hit that ran for seven weeks at Mumbai’s Majestic cinema, four annas tickets were black marketed for Rs.5 and Rs.6 an astonishing price in those days.” informs music writer Adil Bhoja,further pointing out that Imperial Movie –tone was co owned by a Surti.”In the silent era, and even much later movies were screened in pitched tents with a screen and a few accompanied musicians. A Surti by the name of Abdullally Esoofally was a leading exhibitor of silent movies. In a bid to settle down, he bought the Alexandra Theatre in Bombay in 1914 and went on to build the Majestic Theatre in 1918 along with his partner- Ardeshir Irani.Together they formed Imperial Film Company and released Alam Ara in 1931.”
Abdullally Esoofally was an enterprising Surti, born here in 1884; this pioneer tent showman traded in global cinema. He would take his projector, folding screen and a fifty by hundred foot tent that could host a thousand spectators and venture to spread the magic of cinema through India and Asia, exhibiting operas, comedies and actualities like travelogues and sports events, with live music from tabla-sarangi and harmonium players.With Alam Ara also began the profession of penning dialogues for cinema; India’s first writer of which was Joseph David, a Bene Israeli Jew .
The script was written in lighter vein to appeal lay audiences similar to the way they are now. David’s great grand daughter, Joanna Ezekiel a writer herself, now settled in the UK says that ,”Although he had minimal schooling and had joined Parsi Imperial theatre as a stagehand who got small improvisational roles as an actor, Joseph David Penkar was soon noticed for his talent with words and music. Fluent in Indian and Hebrew as well as the English language, he had a passion for plays and the influence of mythological tales from all these languages was detectable in Alam Ara.I am proud that my Jewish ancestor wrote a script that was enjoyed alike by Hindus,Muslims,Jews ,Christians and other religions alike. Sentimental? Yes, but then, that’s Bollywood.”
Paging through The Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema proved one thing for certain, that the main lead Master Vithal –superstar of the silent era had little to do in the film; being poor at Hindi diction which was the need of the hour then, he was shown magically dumbstruck and was either in a trance or unconscious through most of the film. It was here that Prithiviraj Kapoor’s thunderous booming voice scored and secured a successful future for this character actor who went on to establish the iconic Kapoor clan.Prithviraj Kapoor played the role of Adil,as Zubeida’s father in the film.
Surat’s Zubeida who played the lead role held centre stage with her enigma. Writer Urvish Kothari, a connoisseur of vintage music who owns a booklet on Alam Ara, printed in Gujarati, points out that, “Alam Ara was the name of the heroine, which is interesting considering the fact that it was not a known name that belonged to any historical /mythological character that people could identify with.”
It was Ardeshir Irani’s belief in this spitfire Surti superstar who went to provide ‘paisa vasool’entertainment for the enthusiastic public.It was she who made it eternal, like it’s name-Alam Ara-Light of the World, glowing in our memory forever.
Showing posts with label google doodles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label google doodles. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Google 's Alam Ara Doodle -India's first talkie's hero was actually its heroine.
Surti Siren on Google Doodle
80th Anniversary of India’s first talkie Alam Ara.
Google’s doodle talk is back and how! Post an all women special logo for the 100TH International Women’s Day, Google’s search engine home page for India has now featured Zubeida, the legendary actress from Surat, on its new doodle. As a tribute to India’s first talkie-Alam Ara, on its 80th anniversary, the doodle is an artist’s impression of a scene from the movie.
Daughter of the Nawab of Sachin and Fatma Begum who was Bollywood’s first lady director, Zubeida made her debut at 12 with the movie Kohinoor and had already made her mark as an actress with Balidaan which was based on Tagore’s Sacrifice.
Highest paid actress of her times, with the title role Alam Ara, she had the box office coffers jingling and a stampede of sorts was created at Mumbai’s Majestic cinema where people thronged to catch a glimpse of her’ All talking, singing and dancing ‘ blockbuster.
Zubeida who plays a gypsy girl in the film,sang most of the songs in the movie, which were recorded, live at night within an indoor studio, to avoid outside noise by ‘microphones hidden in incredible places to keep out of camera range ‘as director Ardeshir Irani had once mentioned.
“Irani was able to foresee the profound impact sound would have on cinema. He raced to complete Alam Ara before several other contemporary sound films. The cast and crew faced a lot of hitches since sound proof stages were unheard of then. Mostly shot indoors and at night, since the studio was close to a railway track, they had to schedule shots between train timings or shoot after their services ceased.” Says music writer Aadil Bhoja.
“Zubeida was a beauty with a sensuous voice, luminescent skin and great presence. Watching her perform popular songs from the film like ‘Badla dilwayega yaar tu ab sitamgaro se” and ‘De de Khuda ke naam pe “(originally sung in the movie by Wazir Mohammed Khan) live during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Alam Ara at Sanmukhananda Hall was a rare treat.” says Yasin Dalal, 65, ex head of department of Journalism and Mass Communication, at Saurashtra University, a staunch cinema buff from Rajkot, who has a video recording of the event,” Even as she stopped short after singing a few lines and shyly disclosed,”bhul gayi.”,the audience went gaga over this beauty from Gujarat, who said she was honoured and proud to have been part of this great film.”
Directed by Ardeshir Irani, the movie was a remake of the popular play Alam Ara written by Joseph David Penkar, a playwright from The Parsi Imperial Theaterical Company. While Prithviraj Kapoor played a character actor in the film, its lead master Vithal was sued by Sharda Studios for breach of contract by working for Imperial Movietone. M A Jinnah was then appointed to defend him.
Just as master Vithal ogles at Zubeida on the Google doodle, so also he had little to do and nothing to say in this first of its kind ‘All living .Breathing.100 percent talking’ film as it was advertised.Vithal being weak at Hindi diction was mostly shown unconscious or in a trance while the Surti siren held centre stage and sizzled onscreen.
India’s first talkie which was lost in silence when its last existing print was destroyed forever in a fire at the National Film Archives of India, has found a voice again and like it’s name-Alam Ara-proven to be the Light of the World ,glowing in our memory forever.
80th Anniversary of India’s first talkie Alam Ara.
Google’s doodle talk is back and how! Post an all women special logo for the 100TH International Women’s Day, Google’s search engine home page for India has now featured Zubeida, the legendary actress from Surat, on its new doodle. As a tribute to India’s first talkie-Alam Ara, on its 80th anniversary, the doodle is an artist’s impression of a scene from the movie.
Daughter of the Nawab of Sachin and Fatma Begum who was Bollywood’s first lady director, Zubeida made her debut at 12 with the movie Kohinoor and had already made her mark as an actress with Balidaan which was based on Tagore’s Sacrifice.
Highest paid actress of her times, with the title role Alam Ara, she had the box office coffers jingling and a stampede of sorts was created at Mumbai’s Majestic cinema where people thronged to catch a glimpse of her’ All talking, singing and dancing ‘ blockbuster.
Zubeida who plays a gypsy girl in the film,sang most of the songs in the movie, which were recorded, live at night within an indoor studio, to avoid outside noise by ‘microphones hidden in incredible places to keep out of camera range ‘as director Ardeshir Irani had once mentioned.
“Irani was able to foresee the profound impact sound would have on cinema. He raced to complete Alam Ara before several other contemporary sound films. The cast and crew faced a lot of hitches since sound proof stages were unheard of then. Mostly shot indoors and at night, since the studio was close to a railway track, they had to schedule shots between train timings or shoot after their services ceased.” Says music writer Aadil Bhoja.
“Zubeida was a beauty with a sensuous voice, luminescent skin and great presence. Watching her perform popular songs from the film like ‘Badla dilwayega yaar tu ab sitamgaro se” and ‘De de Khuda ke naam pe “(originally sung in the movie by Wazir Mohammed Khan) live during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Alam Ara at Sanmukhananda Hall was a rare treat.” says Yasin Dalal, 65, ex head of department of Journalism and Mass Communication, at Saurashtra University, a staunch cinema buff from Rajkot, who has a video recording of the event,” Even as she stopped short after singing a few lines and shyly disclosed,”bhul gayi.”,the audience went gaga over this beauty from Gujarat, who said she was honoured and proud to have been part of this great film.”
Directed by Ardeshir Irani, the movie was a remake of the popular play Alam Ara written by Joseph David Penkar, a playwright from The Parsi Imperial Theaterical Company. While Prithviraj Kapoor played a character actor in the film, its lead master Vithal was sued by Sharda Studios for breach of contract by working for Imperial Movietone. M A Jinnah was then appointed to defend him.
Just as master Vithal ogles at Zubeida on the Google doodle, so also he had little to do and nothing to say in this first of its kind ‘All living .Breathing.100 percent talking’ film as it was advertised.Vithal being weak at Hindi diction was mostly shown unconscious or in a trance while the Surti siren held centre stage and sizzled onscreen.
India’s first talkie which was lost in silence when its last existing print was destroyed forever in a fire at the National Film Archives of India, has found a voice again and like it’s name-Alam Ara-proven to be the Light of the World ,glowing in our memory forever.
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