BollywoodFAQ_galley

A Century of Bollywood
5
5. 1925—Chubby, petite, and browneyed
Sulochana (a Jewish girl
whose real name was Ruby Myers)
makes her debut with Veer Bala
(The Brave Girl) to become the
“First Sex Symbol of Indian
Cinema.” She becomes the highest-paid
actor of India’s silent era,
famously earning a salary more
than the governor of the Bombay
state. Her hit films include Typist
Girl (1926), Balidaan (Sacrifice,
1927), Wildcat of Bombay (1927),
Madhuri (1928), Anarkali (1928),
and Indira B. A. (1929). As the
titles suggest, the stories revolve
primarily around the female protagonist.
She displayed her versatility
in Wildcat of Bombay (1927)
by playing eight characters,
including a gardener, a policeman,
a Hyderabadi gentleman, a
street urchin, a banana seller, and
a European blonde.
Actress Ruby Myers, popularly known by the
screen name of Sulochana. Courtesy of NFAI
6. 1927—The Indian Cinematograph Committee is formed to study the
cinema in India, and the feasibility of making and furthering Empire
Films (those made within the territories of the British Empire) to counter
American dominance. The real purpose of the committee, however, is
to censor politically objectionable subject matter critical of the British
government, and to preserve English morals and codes.
7. 1930—The British government initiates the ban of newsreels featuring
speeches, activities, and demonstrations of emerging Indian leader
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
8. 1931—The talkie era begins with a bang, with Alam Ara (Ornament of the
World). The film’s first song, “De khuda ke naam par pyare . . .” (“Give
alms in the name of the lord”), becomes an instant hit; it is still sung as a
“professional anthem” by beggars seeking alms at holy places across the
nation. Most silent film companies collapse, and many Anglo-Indian/
English-speaking artists are forced into sudden, premature retirement
due to their inability to speak proficiently in Hindustani. Nearly thirteen
hundred silent feature films were made between 1913 and 1934, peaking
at two hundred in 1931. Their number drops to only seven films in 1934.