Alam Ara: 80 years since Indian Talkies began

Eighty years ago, Indian cinema achieved a landmark on this day when director Ardeshir Irani made Alam Ara, the first ever Indian film with sound. The film also marked the beginning of filmi music.

Alam Ara was first screened at the Majestic Cinema in Bombay on March 14, 1931. It ran for two hours and four minutes, and used a Tanar Sound System to record the dialogues.

Irani recognised the importance that sound would have on the cinema, and raced to complete Alam Ara before several other contemporary sound films. The film was based on a Parsi play written by Joseph David. David later served as a writer for Irani's film company.

March 14, 2011, is a special day for Indian cinema. It marks the 80th anniversary of Alam Ara - the first Indian film with sound.

On this day in 1931, Alam Ara debuted at the Majestic Cinema in Mumbai causing such frenzy among the audience that the police had to be called in.

Alam Ara also featured the first song of Indian cinema, De De Khuda Ke Naam Par, sung by actor Wazir Mohammed Khan.

The film, directed by Ardeshir Irani, is a love story between a prince and a gypsy girl and was based on a Parsi play.

The sad part, however, is that as a result of a fire at the National Film Archive of India at Pune in 2003, the last surviving print of Alam Ara was destroyed, and the film is no longer available in its original format.

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.