Aalam Aara 1931

Aalam Aara is a 1931 Indian Bollywood film released on 1931. Indias first sound film, released on 14 March 1931 at the Majestic theatre, Bombay, narrowly beating Shirin Farhad (1931) to the screens. It established the use of music, song and dance as the mainstay of Indian cinema. The film is a period of fantasy based on Joseph David popular Parsee theatre play and told of the ageing king of Kumarpur, his tow queens, Navbahar and Dilahar, and their rivalry when a fakir predicts that Navbhar will bear the kings heir. Dilbahar unsuccessfully tries to seduce the army Chief Adil (Vithal) and vengefully destroys his family, leaving his daughter Alam Ara(Zubeida) to be raised by nomads. Eventually, Alam Aras nomad frieds invade the place, expose Dilhabars schemes, marries the prince of the realm. The film was made on the Tanar single-system camera, recording image and sound simultaneously, which was difficult esp.for the seven songs which were its highlights. Wazir Mohammed Khans rendering of a wandering minstrels number, De de khuda ke naam par pyare, was patricularly popular and pioneered the use of a commentating chorus, a device adopted in several late films. Although Mehboob was scheduled to play the lead, Master Vithal from the Sharda Studio got the part. When Sharda sued Vithal for brech of contract, he was defended by M.A. Jinnah. Nanubhai Vakil remade the film in 1956 and 73. Playright David was later known for his Wadia Movietone scripts, including Hunterwali (1935). [Source: Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema] Check out this page for more updates on Aalam Aara.