Adventure drama based on a Persian legend. Mubarak (Kader) kidnaps Sanobar (Mohammed), the son of the king of Yemen (Peerjan) and raises him in the forest. Prompted by Mubarak, Sanobar attacks the king returning from a hunt, but is caught, condemned to be locked in a box and thrown into the sea. A fakir teaches the king the language of the animals, warning him not to pass on the skill to any other humans. Listening to two birds, the king realises that Sanobar is his own son. The queen Uilloo), learning that the king has special linguistic powers, forces him to teach them to her as well. He does so and becomes paralysed. Only a flower from.the mouth of Meherangez, the princess of Sistan (Sulochana) can save him. Umar (Bilimoria), the good prince, attempts the task. Zubeida may have acted in ttje film as the helpful fairy, Gul. Remake of Master's 1928 silent film.
Imperial Films Company Est: 1926. Successor to the Majestic and Royal
Art Film companies set up by Ardeshir Irani
as a diversification of his exhibition interests in
partnership with Esoofally, Mohammed Ali
and Dawoodji Rangwala. Organised as a
vertically integrated combine with its own
exhibition infrastructure. Started following the
decline of Kohinoor, it continued many of the
latter’s Mohanlal Dave-inspired genres, often
with the same stars and film-makers. Imperial
became closely associated with the costumed
historical genre launched with Anarkali (1928),
shot and released almost overnight in direct
competition to Charu Roy’s The Loves of a
Mughal Prince (1928). Irani also rushed out
Alam Ara (1931), released as India’s first full
talkie narrowly beating Madan Theatres’
Shirin Farhad (1931). Imperial was the first
studio to shoot scenes at night (in Khwab-e-
Hasti, 1929) using incandescent lamps. It
owned India’s top silent star, Sulochana, and
promoted her along with Zubeida, Jilloo and,
for a while, the young Prithviraj Kapoor. This
was perhaps the first major instance of a
deliberate manufacturing of a star-cult as a
marketing strategy. Top Imperial film-makers
include R.S. Choudhury, B.P. Mishra and
Mohan Bhavnani, whose film-making set the
house style, as did Nandlal Jaswantlal’s
sound films. A fair number of the studio’s
talkies were remakes of its own silent hits with
Sulochana (Anarkali, 1928 & 1935), Wildcat
of Bombay (1927) became Bambai Ki Billi
(1936), etc. It made films in at least nine
languages: Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil,
Telugu, Burmese, Malay, Pushtu and Urdu. The
first Iranian sound film, Dukhtar-e-Lur (aka
Dokhtare Lor Ya Irane Diruz Va Emruz, 1932)
was also made here. Kisan Kanya (1937) by
Gidwani was India’s first indigenously
manufactured colour film, made with the
Cinecolour process. When it closed in 1938, its
economic and generic inheritance was
continued by Sagar Movietone.
(?-1949)
Top Kohinoor director in the 20s, esp. 1924-6:
Lanka Ni Laadi, Fankdo Fituri, The
Telephone Girl were big silent hits. Joined
leading Parsee theatre company Baliwala aged
13; became very popular stage actor, notably in
Pakzaad Parveen. Employed briefly at
sent abroad to market Phalke’s films in
Europe. Joined Kohinoor as actor (he played
Duryodhan in Bhakta Vidur, 1921; the lead in
Kala Naag, 1924) and as assistant to
Kanjibhai Rathod. As director created one of
the most successful teams of 20s Indian film
with scenarist Mohanlal Dave and cameraman
D.D. Dabke. Described by silent star Gohar as
perhaps the most ‘dramatic’ film-maker she
worked with, contrasting with e.g. the ‘realism’
of Bhavnani and Chandulal Shah. Made
several B films in Hindi and in Gujarati. Ended
his career as production manager at Kardar’s
Studio in Bombay.
Top silent cinema scenarist; first scenarist to get
his name above the title (see e.g. the publicity
pamphlets of Kohinoor Film which often give
no other credits). Started as an accountant; then
publicist for Imperial Theatre in Bombay.
Apparently honed his craft writing lively
synopses in publicity hand-outs for Pathé’s
imports. Entered films with S.N. Patankar and
moved to National Studio (where he was
already paid Rs 10,000 a year to write a
minimum of 15 stories) and Kohinoor, where
he made his reputation and wrote about one
screenplay a week. Thereafter worked at Jayant
Pics. and at Imperial with the coming of
sound, where he often teamed up with director
Jaswantlal. As a professional, he handled all
genres, but his narrative style is related to the
then emerging popular Gujarati fiction as
introduced to the cinema by ex-novelists like
Naranji Vassanji Thakkar, Gopalji Delwadekar,
Shaida etc. His scripts are said to have included
detailed camera movements, fades etc., as in
Rathod’s complicated Gul-e-Bakavali (1924),
written in 92 scenes. Major early scripts: the
politically controversial Bhakta Vidur (1921),
the Rathod hit Kala Naag (1924), Chandulal
Shah’s début film Panchdanda (1925) and
Homi Master’s Fankdo Fituri (1925). His
sound films were often rewrites of his own
silent hits with dialogue. His major successes
were with V.M. Vyas, including the Gujarati
film Ranakdevi (1946). Remained a popular
writer until the 60s.
(1907-1983) One of the highest paid actresses of her era, Ruby Myers was known by her screen name Sulochana. An Indian film star of Jewish ancestry, Ruby Myers was first approached by Mohan Bhavnani of the Kohinoor Film Company to act. Since acting was considered to be dubious profession in those days she turned him down. Having no knowledge of acting she became a star under the tutelage of Bhavnani and later moved to the Imperial Film Company where she was paired with Dinshaw Billimoria.
Bio from Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema (Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Paul Willemen):
Born in Pune as Ruby Myers, one of the many
Eurasian actresses to become silent stars (cf.
Seeta Devi, Patience Cooper and
Ermeline). A former telephone operator (1925),
she became a star under Bhavnani’s direction at
Kohinoor. Reputedly the highest-paid star in
the film industry at Imperial. She was billed as
the Queen of Romance or the Jungle Queen in
DeMille-type costume epics, often co-starring
with D. Bilimoria under her favourite
director, R.S. Choudhury. A fair portion
of Imperial’s sound films were remakes of their
silent Sulochana hits. e.g. Anarkali (1928 and
1935), Indira BA (1929, remade as Indira MA
in 1934), Wildcat of Bombay (1927,
remade as Bambai Ki Billi in 1936),
Khwab-e-Hasti/Magic Flute (1929 and 1934) and
Madhuri (1928 and 1932). In Wildcat of
Bombay, she played eight roles including a
gardener, a policeman, a Hyderabadi gentleman, a
street urchin, a banana seller and a European
blonde. Also known for costumed period movies,
e.g. Alibaba and her favourite role of Anarkali.
Jaswantlal pays tribute to her association
with the Anarkali figure in his 1953 version of
the legend (where he casts her as Salim’s
mother). Started her own Rubi Pics in the mid30s, continuing production after she retired as
actress. From the 60s, she had to accept cameo
roles in Hindi films. Ismail Merchant’s short,
Mahatma and the Mad Boy (1974), contains a
passing tribute to her.
Dinshaw Bilimoria (b. 1904)
Actor-director born in Kirkee. Usually described as the highest-paid silent star in India. Formed the celebrated lead couple with Sulochana esp. at Imperial. Introduced in stunt movie-derived historicals and mythologicals adapting Maratha legends at N.D. Sarpotdar’s United Pics. First two films at Imperial, Bhavnani’s Wildcat of Bombay and Choudhury’s Anarkali, were massive hits for him and Sulochana. His John Barrymore- style image was born in elaborate costume fantasies opposite Sulochana’s Orientalised ‘Queen of Romance’, a reference elaborated later by some of the biggest directors of the silent era, e.g. Choudhury, Chandulal Shah, Homi Master, Jaswantlal and Nanubhai Vakil. Several of his silent hits were remade as sound films, notably Indira MA and Anarkali. Acted in some films at Ranjit. Azadi-e-Watan (1940), advertised as directed by him, is probably a dubbed version of an American import.