The first module of the ‘Sound Cultures in Indian Cinema’ database documents the ‘moment of 1931’. The advent of sound in 1931 generated various discourses and had a big impact on the institution and practices of cinema in India. Exhibited in this database are articles, reviews, news snippets, advertisements, inventories, etc. from the popular film magazines of the 1930s from Bombay, Calcutta and Lahore. Besides, materials from limited edition texts, commemorative monographs and newspapers are presented.
The mode of presentation of the digital archive with 900 odd items, is tailored to allow multilateral access points to the history of sound in Indian cinema in the 1930s, e.g., from the perspective of technology and techniques of sound, uses of equipment and their problems, contributions of sound technicians, reviews of talkies, etc. The archival items are presented individually and under ‘collections’ that are equally navigable. The items come with searchable metadata including publication details, synopses and tags. The tags appended to each item help establish lateral connections with similar items.
Featured ItemJadubhattaAn advertisement of Niren Lahiri’s ‘Jadubhatta’ music directed by Jnan Prakash Ghosh and distributed by Nandan Pictures Ltd. |
Featured Collections:Speaking of TalkiesA collection of articles, reviews, notes, write-ups etc related to the talkie phenomenon that started in the early 1930s. Advertising the TalkiesThis collection houses publicity issues of the talkies from the thirties. Talkie EquipmentA collection of items related to miscellaneous talkie apparatus, primary among which is the talkie camera and the film stock. Besides these, miscellaneous instruments and ancillary fittings of the… |
Recently Added Items
Somalochona- TonsilThis article by Abhimanyu is a review of Tapan Sinha’s 2nd film “Tonsilâ€. The reviewer writes about the music and the sound…
Swapan PuriShooting still of Kumar Sarkar’s “Swapan Puriâ€. This film was produced by Jyankumar Naulaksha.
The MelodyAn advertisement of famous harmonium maker shop named “The Melodyâ€. The Advertisement also features Hemanta Mukhopadhyay. |