The race to produce the first sound feature film in India was won by
Ardeshir Irani
, whose Imperial Film Company released Alam Ara ‘Light of the World
’ in Bombay in March 1931. This film contained at least seven songs (Arnold 1991:4). Alam Ara was a popular stage play of the time, and like many such others included songs and dances; Irani’s dramatist adapted both its dialogue and songs for the screen. Many of the early talkies were similarly...
