article for August 16, 2019
Article of the day for August 16, 2019 is Kalidas (film) . Kalidas is a lost 1931 Indian biographical film directed by H. M. Reddy and produced by Ardeshir Irani. No print, gramophone record, or songbook of the film is known to survive. It was the first sound film to be made in South India and the first in Tamil, with additional dialogue in Telugu and Hindi. Based on the life of the Sanskrit poet Kālidāsa, it featured P. G. Venkatesan in the title role and T. P. Rajalakshmi as the female lead, with L. V. Prasad, Thevaram Rajambal, T. Susheela Devi, J. Sushila, and M. S. Santhanalakshmi in supporting roles. It was shot in Mumbai on the sets of India's first sound film Alam Ara (1931) and was completed in eight days. Despite its mythological theme, the film featured songs from modern times, including the compositions of Carnatic musician Tyagaraja, publicity songs of the Indian National Congress, and songs about Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian independence movement.
