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The first Indian sound film (talkie), released in 1931, was:
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Answer: Option B — Alam Ara
Detailed Solution
"Alam Ara" ("The Ornament of the World") was India's first sound film, or "talkie". It was directed and produced by Ardeshir Irani and released on 14 March 1931 at the Majestic Cinema in Bombay (Mumbai). The film was such a success that the police had to be called to control the crowds.
About "Alam Ara":
- It was a Hindi-Urdu film, a costume drama about a prince and a gypsy girl, based on a Parsi play.
- Its lead actors were Master Vithal and Zubeida, with Prithviraj Kapoor in a supporting role.
It had seven songs. The first song of Indian cinema, "De De Khuda Ke Naam Pe Pyaare", was sung by Wazir Mohammed Khan, who played a fakir in the film.
The sound was recorded using the Tanar single-system recording technique, with live sound recorded at the time of shooting.
No complete print of the film survives today; it is considered a "lost film". The National Film Archive of India has tried to find a copy.
Other "firsts" in Indian cinema:
"Raja Harishchandra" (1913): India's first full-length feature film (silent), made by Dadasaheb Phalke, called the "Father of Indian Cinema".
"Kalidas" (1931): the first Tamil (and Telugu) sound film, by H. M. Reddy.
"Kisan Kanya" (1937): India's first indigenously made colour film, also by Ardeshir Irani.
"Bhakta Prahlada" (1931/32): the first Telugu talkie.
The Lumière brothers screened the first films in India at the Watson Hotel in Bombay on 7 July 1896.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in Indian cinema, was first given to Devika Rani in 1969.
Why not the other options?
- ✗"Raja Harishchandra" (1913) was India's first full-length feature film, a silent film.
- ✗"Kalidas" (1931) was the first Tamil talkie.
- ✗"Kisan Kanya" (1937) was the first Indian colour film.
Quick tip
Remember: First Indian talkie = "Alam Ara" (14 March 1931, Ardeshir Irani, Majestic Cinema); first feature film = "Raja Harishchandra" (1913, Phalke); first colour film = "Kisan Kanya" (1937).
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Art & Culture Personalities — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Art & Culture Personalities, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the people behind India's art and culture: classical and folk dancers, vocalists and instrumentalists, painters, sculptors, theatre and film personalities, and the gurus who founded or revived art forms. Questions also cover the art form each person is known for and the honours they have received. Exams typically name a person and ask for their art form, or name an art form and ask who popularised it. Recent Padma award winners from the arts appear often, so link each name to the field and state the award was given for. Since award lists change every year, always revise from the latest official list rather than relying on older notes. Practise the art and culture personalities questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.