In the heartland of India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, lies the small pilgrim site of Maihar that sees an unusual mix of history with legends, where lines between reality and folklore have been blurred to give way to a prevalent tradition.

Blurring lines between History and Mythology

Unsurprisingly the path to 'silver screen' wasn't a cakewalk and he played many small and supporting roles in various TV series of the 90's. Gradually treading through opportunities and investing in his skills and moved ahead. He was soon recognized by critics for his outstanding performances.

Polaris among the stars

"I am a shy person and I actually get embarrassed when people compliment me for my looks. But when I think about it later, I feel good." - Dharmendra

The He-Man Of Indian Cinema

Andro, in Manipur, is known as the home to some of the earliest settlers who profess the Sanamahi (Meitei) faith. Even today, Andro retains its ancient roots and Meitei beliefs, as evident through its age-old pottery and brewing culture, a temple dedicated to a very primitive deity and a sacred fire that has been burning bright since the foundation of the village.

THE VILLAGE OF THE PEOPLE WHO RETURNED- ANDRO

The sky was never the limit for India. The country got the Department of Space to strengthen ISRO and showcase its science and technology power to the world. The level of Standards and the number of achievements in the field have only gone up since then.

Aiming For The Stars

Ambition and anxieties, of a minority, a leader who claimed to be a messiah and a politician willing to use the iron fist. Punjab sat on a powder keg and the destruction was soon to follow

Murky Beginnings

Sachin Tendulkar scored 114, and sealed his 100th century in cricket, becoming the first batsman to do so, today in 2012. His score would remain unmatched by most batsmen even today. 

The 100th 100 takes some time

Surrounded, Clive's chances of winning were bleak. The French held better positions under the shadows of the trees in the moonlit night of 23rd on that road at Kaveripauk. The French victory seemed inevitable. But in the end, it is what it is - War certainly is an art!

"Art of War" by Robert Clive

VK Krishna Menon gives a 7 hour, 48-minute long speech at the United Nations, detailing India's position on Kashmir, today in 1957, collapsing in the middle of the speech, but returning to finish it

Talking today till tomorrow

The ornament of the world, or so the title went. *Alam Ara* was to truly be a gem in Indian cinematic history, however Ardeshir Irani, who directed the movie, never imagined how successful it would be when it was released in the Majestic Cinema at Bombay, back on the 14th of March, 1931.

The movie would be received too well, for police had to be called to maintain the crowds. For 8 weeks, the movie ran housefull. Sadly, the film is lost to us today - in fact, as far back as 1967, there exists to be no record. But why should there be one in the first place?

Alam Ara, a love story between a prince and a gypsy girl, set in an imaginary land, was successful not because of its plot, but because of its production - for this movie was the first Indian talkie - a movie with sound, so that everyone could hear it.

Taglines ran "All living. Breathing. 100 per cent talking", and people were not disappointed. While the movie itself was an adaptation from a play, the sound system was Tanar, and since there existed little knowledge of how to proof mics for sound, there were numerous difficulties.

> Firstly, the system recorded the sound directly onto the film, necessitating more takes. Secondly, since the studio was near rail tracks, the movie had to be shot between 1-4AM in the night, because the system was overloaded by train sounds in the daytime.

And finally, there was a lack of actors speaking Hindustani language, as most of them spoke other languages.

Despite all these challenges, the film still made it through. And even though it might be lost to us today, its legacy certainly has not - within 4 years of its release, virtually all movies would be released with sound, and the trend of the talkie taking over had started.

Poster of the film Alam Ara; Source: Public Archives

Alam_Ara_poster_1931_963795fd82.jpeg

Entertainment

paintthepast

Alam Ara, the first Indian movie to contain sound, was released today in 1931. It became so successful that police had to be called to control audiences outside theatres.

Chaitanya Rawat

The talkies have arrived, bring in the police!

Chaitanya Rawat

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THE VILLAGE OF THE PEOPLE WHO RETURNED- ANDRO