indian cinema heritage foundation

Shirin Farhad (1931)

  • FormatB-W
  • LanguageHindi
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The plot revolves around a Persian sculptor named Farhad who falls in love with Queen Shirin. Farhad asks Shah Khusro’s permission to marry Queen Shirin. Shah Kusro agrees to grant his wish but on one condition. He promises to marry Queen Shirin to Farhad, if only he could single-handedly build a canal through the Besutun mountains by demolishing them. It seems humanly impossible to everyone but Farhad takes up the challenge. He laboriously carves a path through the mountains. When Shah Khusro comes to know about this, he sends an old lady with a message that Shirin passed way. Farhad couldn’t handle the tragic news and kills himself with the tools with which he was building the canal. When the news of Farhad’s death reaches Queen Shirin, she also passes away in trauma and Farhad’s grave miraculously opens to embrace Shirin in it. And finally, both lovers re-unite in heaven.

Shirin Farhad (1931) is the second sound feature of Indian cinema, closely beaten to the screen by Alam Ara (1931) as India’s first sound feature. It was a big-budget musical with legendary singing stars Master Nissar and Jahanara Kajjan in lead. It turned out to be a greater hit than Alam Ara (1931) because of its well-written dialogues and 18 melodious songs which written by Agha Hashr Kashmiri and were recorded on R.C.A. Photophone, which created crystal clear sound. The musical format and dance sequences of this film became an important trademark of Talkies later.