Alam Ara (Hindi: आलम आरा, Urdu: عالم آراء , translation: The Ornament of the World) is a 1931 film directed by Ardeshir Irani. It was the first Indian sound film.
Irani recognised the importance that sound would have on the cinema, and raced to complete Alam Ara before several contemporary sound films. Alam Ara debuted at the Majestic Cinema in Mumbai (then Bombay) on 14 March 1931. The first Indian talkie was so popular that "police aid had to be summoned to control the crowds."
After the fire at National Film Archive of India, Pune, in 2003, which destroyed the last surviving prints of several classics such as Raja Harishchandra and Achhut Kanya, this film is no longer available in its original format.
Read more about Alam Ara: Synopsis, Cast, Significance, Production, Influences, Soundtrack, Legacy