The practise of adopting screen names started in 1919 when two actresses Gulabbai and Anusuiyabai of Baburao Painter8217;s Sairandhri adopted the names Kamladevi and Susheeladevi, respectively. Gulabbai alias Kamladevi was the leading lady of this film. Incidentally, she was immortalised as the trumpet-blowing woman is the now-famous symbol of the Prabhat Film Company. She kept up her filmi connections when she married one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, S Fatehalal.
Bogilal M Dave was the first Indian who went to America to study at theNew York Institute of Photography. He graduated in 1923.
The trade agreement system in the film industry started in 1925 when Imperial Theatre, Bombay, signed a agreement with Chandulal Shah to produce and deliver a film within 21 days. Their condition: the film had to be released on Id, in their theatre. Shah was paid Rs 10,000 in advance 50 per cent of the total cost of the film. He delivered Barrister8217;s Wife within the stipulated time frame.
There wasno film title8217; control over producers when the talkies first came to India, in 1931. Which is why two films by the same name Harishchandra and Laila Majnu were produced by Madan Theatres and Saroj Movietone in the same year.
The song Inhi logon ne le leeya8217; from Kamla Movietone8217;s Himmat 1941 directed by Roop K Shorey and composed by Govind Ram was reused by Kamal Amrohi in his epic production Pakeezah 1971. The second song was written by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed by Ghulam Mohammed and Naushad. The original song was sung by Shamshad Begum whereas the latter avataar was recorded in Lata Mangeshkar8217;s voice.
Actress Mala Sinha8217;s real name is Alda Singh. She is a Nepali, born in Calcutta on November 11, 1936. She was first introduced to Bengali films by Pinaki Mukherjee when he cast her as the leading lady in Dhuli. Her first appearance in Hindi films was in director Amiya Chakraborty8217;s Badshah 1954. She is best known for her role as Guru Dutt8217;s estranged girlfriend in Pyaasa 1957, amother in Dhool Ka Phool and Ashok Kumar8217;s wife in Gumrah 1963.
Laxmikant-Pyarelal won the Filmfare award for best music director four years in a row Amar Akbar Anthony 1977, Satyam Shivam Sundaram 1978, Sargam 1979 and Karz 1980. They also hold the record for scoring music for the maximum number of Hindi films over 450. Lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri has the distinction of having written the maximum number of songs for Hindi films.
The 1971 film Paras produced by Prithvi Pictures and directed by C P Dixit was adapted from Singeetam Srinivasa Rao8217;s Tamil film Chinnachiru Ulagam.
Aamir Khan acted as a child artist in Yadoon Ki Baraat 1973. Later he also worked as an assistant director to uncle Nasir Hussain for Manzil Manzil 1984 and Zabardast 1985. Apart from acting, Aamir has also written the screenplay of Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke 1993 along with Robin Bhatt. The film was directed by Mahesh Bhatt.
All archival material and photographs courtesy: Subhash Chheda
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