The
stars of silent films wrought a magic previously unknown to any audience
- their eyes and expressions said it all. That they were beautiful/handsome
is a given, that they were talented - obvious, that they continue
to command a fan-following - this comes as a surprise because the
talkies launched a revolution that should have erased these names
and faces. Sulochana, Dinshaw Billimoria, Nadia, Seeta Devi, Master
Vithal, Zubeida, and Patience Cooper -- they live on.
Sulochana
(1907-83)
Sulochana or Ruby
Myers (her real name) was a former telephone operator who went
on to become the highest paid actor of her day. Her finest period
was with Imperial Studios where her on-screen pairing with Dinshaw
Billimoria was especially popular. They were among the few stars
to successfully transit to talkies.
The most famous of her films
- Wild Cat of Bombay - saw her in eight guises/characters including
a gardener and a street brat! Her virtuosity knew no limits and she
could have had no better vehicle for her talent. The sound films at
Imperial were mainly remakes of her films - Wild Cat of Bombay
(1927) was remade as Bambai Ki Billi (1936), Madhuri
(1928) reappeared in sound in 1932, Anarkali (1928) was remade
in 1935, and the hit film Indira BA (1929) became Indira
MA (1934).
Sulochana launched Rubi
Pics in the mid-30s - this marked her retirement from acting!
Ismail Merchant's Mahatma
and the Mad Boy (1974) included a tribute to this greatest of
the silent screen stars.
Dinshaw
Billimoria (born 1904)
D. Billimoria as he
was referred to was introduced in action films - both historical and
mythological. One of the stars at Imperial Studios, he and Sulochana
were the star leads, with many extremely successful films to their
credit, notably Wild Cat of Bombay and Anarkali.
In 1942, he acted in and directed
Jawani Ki Pukar.
Seeta
Devi (born 1912).
Born Renee Smith, this
unknown became a star with Himansu Rai's Prem Sanyas (1925),
receiving accolades for her performance and bearing.
Seeta Devi's roles in
Shiraz (1928) and Prapancha Pash (1929) established
her firmly, but many continued to believe that she and her sister
Percy Smith alternately appeared as the star!
Master
Vithal (-1969).
He debuted as a child artiste
at Rajapurkar Natak Mandali and made his first film appearance
as a dancing girl in Maharashtra Films' Kalyan Khajina (1924)
- but Master Vithal was the consummate action hero of his time!
The major break came with Sharada Studios Ratan Manjari (1926)
- this was his first lead role and he remained with the studio as
major lead over many years.
The stunt film genre was his
forte and he consolidated his position with historical films based
on Rajput and Maratha themes. These determined his image - the fearless,
noble hero loved by all.
Subsequently he moved to Sagar
Movietone, and was engaged in a lawsuit with Sharada Studios, defended
by no less than M.A. Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan.
Master Vithal starred
in India's first talkie, Alam Ara (1931), and later in the
super successful Ramshastri (1944).
Zubeida
(1911-90)
The princess who became a star
- Zubeida was the daughter of the Nawab of Sachin and
Fatma Begum, actress and India's first lady director! One of
Zubeida's sisters, Sultana, was a star while the other,
Shahzadi, appeared in films as a teenager.
She commenced her acting career
at Kohinoor Studios, at the age of 12. Her finest work was for Kohinoor
and Laxmi studios, although she did freelance with other studios.
She honed the role of the `pure'
courtesan to perfection. Her limpid posture and soft uncertain voice
were traditions continued by Meena Kumari in Pakeezah
(1971). Veer Abhimanyu (1922), Gul-e-Bakavali (1924),
Indrasabha (1925) and the films directed by her mother - Bulbul-e-Paristan
(1926), Heer Ranjha (1928) and Milan Dinar
-- are her finest performances. Zubeida played the lead in India's
first sound film Alam Ara (1931).
In 1934 Zubeida, together
with Nanubhai Vakil, launched Mahalakshmi Cinetone.
By the late 30s, at the height
of her stardom, she had retired, appearing in the rare film thereafter.
Patience
Cooper (1905 - )
Cooper is credited with
the first double roles of Indian cinema - as twin sisters in Patni
Pratap and as mother and daughter in Kashmiri Sundari!
She was a dancer with Bandman's
Musical Comedy before her contract with Madan Theatres. Her career
was a smooth one, and she remained at the top till dethroned by Sulochana.
Her famous films are : Nala Damayanti (1920), Dhruva Charitra
(1921), Laila Majnu and Princess Budur - both in
1922, Bilwamangal and Alibaba and the Forty Thieves
- both in 1932, Zehari Saap (1933), Khyber Pass (1936),
and Iraada (1944).
Excelling in the role of an
innocent caught up by events, usually initiated by the males, Patience
Cooper anticipated the roles that would make Nargis famous.
Cooper moreover had
the colouring and sharp features that allowed the use of eye-level
lighting, rarely used in India.
SOURCE
So Many Cinemas
Author - B.D. Garga
Publishers - Eminence Designs Private Limited.
Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema.
Author -Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen
Publishers -Oxford University Press.
