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The first module of the ‘Sound Cultures in Indian Cinema’ database documents the ‘moment of 1931’. The advent of sound in 1931 generated various discourses and had a big impact on the institution and practices of cinema in India. Exhibited in this database are articles, reviews, news snippets, advertisements, inventories, etc. from the popular film magazines of the 1930s from Bombay, Calcutta and Lahore. Besides, materials from limited edition texts, commemorative monographs and newspapers are presented.
The mode of presentation of the digital archive with 900 odd items, is tailored to allow multilateral access points to the history of sound in Indian cinema in the 1930s, e.g., from the perspective of technology and techniques of sound, uses of equipment and their problems, contributions of sound technicians, reviews of talkies, etc. The archival items are presented individually and under ‘collections’ that are equally navigable. The items come with searchable metadata including publication details, synopses and tags. The tags appended to each item help establish lateral connections with similar items.
Featured ItemThe Making of Alam Ara
B.D Garga writes about the making of Imperial Film Co.’s ‘Alam Ara’, the first talkie produced in India and his conversations with Ardeshir… |
Featured Collections:Sound Recording SystemsThis collection contains advertisements and articles on talkie sound recording systems, including both the variable area and the variable density systems. Prelude to TalkiesItems in this collection are on the silent era and the early breakthroughs in sound technology for talkies. Talkie StarsItems pertaining to the talkie stars of the nineteen thirties are housed in this collection. |
Recently Added Items
Elphinstone Cinema/Rangila Rajput
The advertisement for film Ajanta Cinetone’s Rangila Rajput (Mohan Bhavnani, 1933) highlighted a “lot of riding, fighting & swimming,” echoing…
Famous Pictures
These advertisements pointed to the essence of cinema as an art of images rather than sound, and speculated about the early demise of the talkies and…
Sagar’s Super Talkies
Advertisement of Sagar Movietone’s “super talkies” in the Cinema. The advert highlights “clear recording, able direction, scientific… |