Author: Manoj Kumar

Cheeku Rabbit’s uncle White Rabbit lived in Mumbai.  He was a film reporter.  The children would gather around him, as soon as he came to Champakvan, and would ask him about the film heroes and heroines. 

One would ask, “Have you met Amitabh, while another would ask how Salman is”.  Some would ask, Uncle, Uncle, is Rajpal Yadav alright, he is not to be seen in films these days?”

White would reply to the children very affectionately, “Yes children from Amitabh to Rajpal Yadav all are fine and enjoying themselves”.

This time when White came to Champakvan in the holidays, Cheeku said to him, “Uncle.You know cinema is going to complete hundred years therefore we are having a cinema quiz time in school this time. You know everything concerning cinema”. Cheeku said as he climbed on to the lap of White.

“Yes …Yes. Tell me what you want to know”, White asked.

“Who made the first film in India?”

“In India Dada Saheb Phalke was the first person to make a film.  After that gradually many persons started making films”.

“What was that film?”  Cheeku asked.

“Raja Harishchandra was India’s first silent film”.

“What is the meaning of silent film?”

“Mute film, means without any dialogue.  There was no sound in the films like they have now-a-days”.

“When was the first film with dialogue made?”

“On March 14, 1931, the first film in India ‘Alam Ara’ having dialogues was released in Mumbai’s Majestic Cinema hall.  Master Vittal was its hero”.

“Do you know the name of the film with the most songs?” asked White.

“No”. Replied Cheeku.

“Those days movies had many songs. ‘ Indra Sabha’ was produced by Madan theatres.  It had 71 songs”.

“Uncle, how many movies are there with the same name?”

“There are seven films.  The name of the film is ‘Insaaf’.  The first film of this name was made in 1937”.

“Do women also direct films?”

“Now-a-days there are many women who are directing movies.  But in the beginning, all the work was done by men; even female roles were enacted by men. Jaddan Bai is recognized as the first film director.  In 1938 she produced a film named ‘Talash-e-hum’.

In the same way the first female music composer was Miss Khurshid Homji.  In those days music was prevalent in films.  However this work was done only by men.  Director Himanshu Rai for the first time took a woman as a music composer.  He kept her name Saraswati Devi so that people would not come to know of her.

Besides this there are other facts concerning films like double role was enacted by A. Sanluke.  He played the role of Ram and Sita.  In 1970, in the same manner comedian Mahmood played three roles in ‘Humjoli’. In 1974, the film ‘Ek Din Ek Raat’ was produced in which Sanjeev Kumar enacted nine different roles.  The most interesting fact is that the most number of double roles in films have been performed by Amitabh Bachchan”.

“Uncle, earlier only historical and religious films were made, then how did the idea of making detective films occur”, asked Cheeku.

“I do not know.  But Sir Alfred Hitchcock is considered as the father of detective films.  He wanted to show the spectators something new.  Therefore in 1925 he made the first detective and suspense movie named ‘The Pleasure Garden’.

“Uncle I saw a film in which the hero breaks into pieces and after a while melts and forms a human being”.

“This is the marvel of graphics.  In many films there are scenes which have been made by the help of computer graphics. Through computer graphics even those scenes that seem impossible are made possible and shown, like the jumping of the hero-heroine from a great height, fighting while hanging from the helicopter or performing stunts while sitting on the horse. Looking at them we think as if the actor is really doing it”.

“Uncle, I feel like laughing while watching old movies”, said Cheeku laughing. 

“You feel like laughing when you watch old films, but have you ever thought if those films had not been made then would such good quality films have been possible in the present time for us to watch.  Now even 3D films are being made. In the field of films new experiments are being made every day.  In the near future we will be able to watch some astonishing things”, White explained.

“Uncle you have given me a great deal of information.  Now I will definitely win the quiz”, Cheeku said excitedly.