Magic of Movies - 1926

1926
1.106 films were produced in 1926. About 300 cinema theatres existed all over India by 1926, along with several "travelling bio-scopes". According to Amitabh Bachchan in his article for the Hindustan Times "90% of the films shown were imported from Hollywood, almost exclusively from Universal Studios".
2.Fatma Begum became the first woman director of Indian cinema when she produced and directed Bulbule Paristan.Bulbule Paristan was the first Indian cinema film to be directed by a woman director Fatma Begum. The film was produced under her recently formed Fatma Films and starred herself and her three daughters Zubeida, Sultana and Shahzadi.  It was a big-budget fantasy abounding with special effects set in a Parastan or fairyland.
Zubaida

Zubeida Begum Dhanrajgir (1911–1988) was an Indian film actress. She acted in the first Indian talkie movie Alam Ara (1931). Her credits include early hits Devdas (1937), and Sagar Movietone's first talkie, Meri Jaan.
Born in Surat city of Gujarat in western India, Zubeida was a Muslim princess, the daughter of Nawab Sidi Ibrahim Muhammad Yakut Khan III of Sachin State and Fatima Begum. She had two sisters, Sultana and Shehzadi, both actresses. She was among the few girls who entered films at a tender age during a time when it was not considered an appropriate profession for girls from respectable families, let alone royalty. Zubeida was only 12 when she made her debut in Kohinoor. Through the 1920s she made infrequent appearances on screen along with Sultana who, by then, had become one of Indian cinema's loveliest leading ladies. One of the films to star the two sisters was Kalyan Khajina in 1924. They had also shared the screen in Zubeida's first blockbuster, Veer Abhimanyu released two years earlier, that also had their mother, Fatima Begum, playing an important role. In 1925 Zubeida had nine releases, amongst them Kala Chor, Devdasi and Desh Ka Dushman. A year later she starred in her mother's film, Bulbul-e-Paristan. 1927 was memorable for her with movies Laila Majnu, Nanand Bhojai and Naval Gandhi's Sacrifice which were very successful movies at this time. The latter, based on Rabindranath Tagore's 'Balidan', also starred Sulochana Devi, Master Vithal and Jal Khambatta. It condemned the age-old custom of animal sacrifice in certain Kali temples in Bengal. The Members of the Indian Cinematograph Committee were wowed by this "excellent and truly Indian film". Its European members recommended that it be sent abroad for screening. Zubeida starred in a string of silent films before Alam Ara proved to be the turning point in her career and was her biggest hit. She suddenly was highly in demand and got wages high above the standards for a woman in the film industry at that time. Through the '30s and early '40s she made a hit team with Jal Merchant and starred in several successful mythological films playing characters like Subhadra, Uttara and Draupadi. She was also successful in portraying emotions with films such as Ezra Mir's Zarina which had her playing a vibrant, volatile circus girl whose kisses steamed up the screen and sparked off heated debate on censorship. Zubeida was one of the few actresses to make a successful transition from the silent era to the talkies. In 1934 she set up Mahalakshmi Movietone with Nanubhai Vakil and had box-office bonanzas in Gul-e-Sonobar and Rasik-e-Laila. She continued to appear in one or two films a year till 1949. Nirdosh Abla was her last film. Zubeida married Maharaj Narsingir Dhanrajgir Gyan Bahadur of Hyderabad. She is the mother of Humayun Dhanrajgir and Dhurreshwar Dhanrajgir. Dhurreshwar is the mother of model Rhea Pillai. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage.
Zubeida spent her last years at the family's Bombay palace, Dhanraj Mahal. She died in 1988 and was laid to rest at Chhatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj Marg, Apollo Bunder, Colaba, south Mumbai amongst her children and grandchildren. She is survived by her son Humayun and grandchildren Nikhil Dhanrajgir, Ashok Dhanrajgir, Rhea Pillai and Karen Nina, and her son James Michael.
Sultana

Sultana, also known as Sultana Razaaq, was one of the earliest film actresses from India and acted both in silent movies and later in talkie movies. She was daughter of India’s first female film director, Fatima Begum. Zubeida (leading actress of India's first talkie film Alam Ara (1931)) was younger sister of Sultana.
She was among the few girls who entered films at a time when it was not considered an appropriate profession for girls from respectable families, let alone Royalty. Born in the Surat city of Gujarat in western India, Sultana was a stunningly beautiful Muslim princess, the daughter of Nawab Sidi Ibrahim Muhammad Yakut Khan III of Sachin State and Fatima Begum. She had two sisters, Zubeida and Shehzadi, both actresses. However, there is no record of a marriage or a contract having taken place between the Nawab and Fatima Bai or of the Nawab having recognised any of her children as his own, a prerequisite for legal paternity in Muslim family law.
Sultana was a popular actress in the silent movie era, usually cast in romantic roles. She started her career as actress in Veer Abhimanyu (1922) film in 1920s and later performed in several silent films. Later, she also acted in talkie movies. When India was partitioned in 1947, she migrated to Pakistan with her husband, a wealthy man named Seth Razaaq. Her daughter, Jamila Razaaq, was also encouraged by her to act in Pakistani films and she produced a film in Pakistan, named Hum Ed hain (1961), written by famous scriptwriter, Fayyaz Hashmi. The film was partly shot in colour, which was rare those days, but it failed miserably and Sultana stopped producing any films afterwards. Sultana's daughter, Jamila Razaaq, married the well known Pakistani cricketer Waqar Hasan, who is the brother of filmmaker Iqbal Shehzad. He runs a business under the name National Foods at Karachi.
3.The first cinema trade organisation called The Bombay Cinema and Theatre Trade Organisation was formed in India in 1926.
4.Films had their "main title" in English followed by the regional Indian language title.
5.
Sulochana (Ruby Myers), made her debut with The Telephone Girl and became one of the popular stars of 1920s and early 1930s.The Telephone Girl was noted as a film that made "Pioneering use of real locations", It was directed by Homi Master for Kohinoor Film Company and was the debut film of real-life telephone operator, Sulochana (Ruby Myers).

Ruby Myers’ (1907-1983) screen name was Sulochana (and later also Sulochana Sr.). Myers’ standing as the biggest star of the 1920s is now part of urban lore. Apparently, she was the highest paid actor of the period, and her salary was higher than the Governor of Bombay. 

Ruby Myers was born in 1907 in Pune. Chubby, petite and brown-eyed, the self-named Sulochana was among the early Eurasian female stars of Indian Cinema.

She was working as a telephone operator when she was approached by Mohan Bhavnani of Kohinoor Film Company to work in films. Though excited by the offer, she turned him down as acting was regarded as quite a dubious profession for women those days. However Bhavnani persisted with his offer and she finally agreed, despite having no knowledge of acting whatsoever. She became a star under Bhavnani's direction at Kohinoor before moving on to the Imperial Film Company where she became the highest paid movie star in the country. 

Among her popular films were Typist Girl (1926), Balidaan (1927) and Wildcat of Bombay (1927) where she essayed eight roles including a gardener, a policeman, a Hyderabadi gentleman, a street urchin, a banana seller and a European blonde.

Three romantic super hits in 1928 - 29 with director R.S. Chaudhari - Madhuri (1928), Anarkali (1928) and Indira B.A. (1929) saw her at her peak of fame in the silent film era. In fact so widespread was her fame that when a short film on Mahatma Gandhi inaugurating a khadi exhibition was shown, alongside it was added a hugely popular dance of Sulochana's from Madhuri, synchronized with sound effects.

With the coming of sound, Sulochana suddenly found a lull in her career, as it now required an actor to be proficient in Hindustani. Taking a year off to learn the language, she made a grand comeback with the talkie version of Madhuri (1932).

Further talkie versions of her silent hits followed and with Indira (now an) M.A. (1934), Anarkali (1935) and Bombay ki Billi (1936). Sulochana was back with a bang. She was drawing a salary of Rs 5000 per month, she had the sleekest of cars (Chevrolet 1935) and one of the biggest heroes of the silent era, D. Billimoria, as her lover with whom she worked exclusively between 1933 and 1939. They were an extremely popular pair - his John Barrymore-style opposite her Oriental 'Queen of Romance' image.

But once their love story ended so did their careers.

Sulochana left Imperial to find few offers forthcoming. Newer, younger and more proficient actresses had entered the scene. She tried making a comeback with character roles but even these were few.

However, she still had the power to excite controversy. In 1947, Morarji Desai banned the Dilip Kumar - Noor Jehan starrer, Jugnu, because it showed such a morally reprehensible act as an aging fellow professor falling for Sulochana's vintage charms.

In 1953, she acted in her third Anarkali, but this time in a supporting role as Salim's mother.

She finally died lonely and forgotten in 1983 in her flat in Mumbai. A sad end for the woman who once became famous for drawing a larger salary than the Governor of Bombay and who even acted in a film named after her - Sulochana (1933).

She was awarded the 1973 Dada Saheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema for lifetime achievement.

6.Kanan Devi also called Kanan Bala, started her acting career at the age of ten in the film Joydev directed by Jyotish Bannerji for Jyoti Studios. She went on to become one of the early singer-actor of Hindi and Bengali cinema.

Kanan Devi, the Evergreen Movie Queen & Melody Queen

Her father, Ratan Chandra Das, died when she was very young leaving behind many debts with his wife and daughter at the mercy of relatives. Young Kanan and her mother began living in a slum.

At the age of ten she started working in films and missed out on childhood. She was helped by Tulsi Bannerji to get a film role. This was in 1926 in Madan Theatres’ Jaidev. She was hired on a salary of Rs 25 but received only Rs 5. So young and naive was she that she didn’t know what to do with the princely amount. She was more interested in climbing the trees in the studio than acting.

In 1931, she played the lead in JORE BARAT, and a star was born, a star who came to dominate over the Indian screen for the next three decades. Success came gradually and the initial indifference of the industry  gave way to surprise ,astonishment and respect as her value was established beyond doubt.

It was later in 1935, in her first full- fledged role with Jahar Ganguli in Manmayee Girls School, that she hit big time. People fought to touch her image on the screen. After that there was no looking back.

Overnight, she had become a household name. The days of the silent film were over and with the talkies a new era had begun. Kanan Devi was Bengal’s first singing actress. She started studying music under an Ustad. She did everything that would assure her the security of not having to return to the slums.

When she finally acted in a New Theatres production she became a goldmine for Biren Sircar — the man who owned New Theatres. Her films ran to packed houses and her fan following was phenomenal. She had to travel to the studio in a curtained car and under constant protection. She left New Theatres in 1941 and worked for other banners before calling it quits as an actress in 1959. She also produced many Bengali films under her banner Shrimati Pictures between 1949 and 1965.

She worked with all the top actors of the country like K.L. Saigal, Pramathesh Barua, Pahari Sanyal, Chabi Biswas, Ashok Kumar and Uttam Kumar.  Her notable films include  Vidyapati (1937)Street Singer (1938) Lagan (1941)Jawab (1942)

Even today, her voice can touch the deepest chords of our hearts.As she sings Prabhuji, prabhuji, tum rakho laaj hamari with utter devotion, there is a sense of spirituality which may be lacking in a temple but which predominates in her voice.“Misri mein ghuli hui awaaz hai,” raved composer O.P. Nayyar. “Aisi awaaz hazaro saalon mein na hui hai our na hogi,” was Jaidev’s opinion. Pankaj Mullick, one of her ustads and a composer who trained her very effectively commented that nature went overboard when endowing her voice with such sweetness. Kanan Devi herself acknowledged her debt to Pankaj Mullick: “I studied music from several ustads but what Pankajdada taught me was unique — the inner meaning of the words opened to me, like the morning dawn, and the words and the music became one.”When he passed away Kanan Devi lamented, “Tagore has passed away a second time.”

In the later years of her life she turned to social work. She knew that the world of films was an insecure one and formed the Mahila Shilpi Mahal to assist women artistes in need.

Kanan Devi, as the first lady of the Bengali screen, received many honours for her contribution to Indian cinema. An honorary degree from Vishwabharati, the Padma Shree in 1968 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1976.

She died on 17 July 1992 in Belle View Clinic, Calcutta when she was around seventy-six years of age.

A postage stamp, bearing Kanan's photo, was released to honour her by India’s Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology in February 2011.

7.Zebunissa, known also as Zebu, started her acting career with Royal Art Studio in 1926, and remained with the company until it closed down around 1940.

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One of the foremost actresses of the Indian movies . Miss Zaibunissa was born in Peshawar and moved over to Bombay in 1922 .
She was not very confidant in the beginning of gaining success in the movies but as she took up side roles in the beginning and with every movie her confidence increased . The Imperial film Company offered her heroine roles . Her first most successful movie was Alauddin ka Chiraagh . She became a big name and the Sharada film Company later hired her . She acted in nearly a dozen movies mostly with Master Vittal and Jairaj . She was called the Greta Garbo of the Indian movies . She was very graceful and had good dancing capabilities , but was poor at singing . She was capable of swiftly changing her roles from a princess to a pauper at the very moment . Some of her memorable movies with Sharada film Co , are Sharab Jawani , Heera Sundari , Sassi Punnu , Mirza Sahiban and Dilruba etc .
In 1930 she moved over to Bangalore and joined Surya film Co ,and acted in three movies Asia

Sitara , Kya Baat & Rajlakshmi . Later she moved back to Bombay and appeared for the first time in a talkie with Jairaj in Shakuntala – 1932 .
She never looked back after this movie and acted in several movies playing lead and supporting
roles . Her most memorable movies are Bharthruhari – 1932 , Malti Madhav – 1933,
Hothal Padmini , Dilara – 1934 , Elan-e-Jung – 1936 , Elaan - 1947 etc .
She acted as Gajendra's mother in Ram Aur Shyam (1967) and as Zebunissa in Sharafat (1970)
Pakeeza (1972) Dhoop Chhaon (1977)
She was a devotee of Actor turned Sufi SaintAshraf Khan with whom she acted in couple of movies as a heroine . She used to attend the Urs every year.

She was affectionately known as Zebu in Hyderabad . She was the most admired heroine of the early 1930's . She visited Hyderabad on couple of occasions . She was fond of Hyderabadi Pearls, food and visiting historical places . Her screen appearances faded away during the mid 1930's and was seen occasionally playing supporting roles .Zebunnisa is a forgotten name for the modern generation. 

 8.Typist Girl was directed by Chandulal Shah for the Kohinoor Film Company and starred   Sulochana, Raja Sandow and Gohar. A social film, it was commercially as successful as the mythology films produced at that time.

9.The Vamp directed by Naval Gandhi for Sharda Film Company and starring Miss Yakbal has been cited as a "Modern Girl" film along with The Telephone Girl.
10.Imperial Film Company founded by Ardeshir Irani, who was to later make the first Talkie film Alam Ara (1931). Fatma Films was founded by Fatma Begum and the name later changed in 1928 to Victoria-Fatma Films. Punjab Film Corporation was set up in Lahore.