FilmIndia (Dec 1937 - Apr 1938)

April 1938 FILMINDIA Shantcrram is as proud of New Theatres as Sircar is and I know it from the numerous discussions I have had with him. In fact, Shantaram did not know of the whole affair, till I read to him the time-serving penny papers. Shantaram doesn't read these gutter rags and Sircar also should not. The unfortunate episode must now be closed between the responsible parties and no further publicity should be given to useless weeklies which are not even worth the paper they are printed on. One thing, however, I mustn't torget to mention and that is, the next time New Theatres talk of rivals they mustn't use the plural. New Theatres has only one rival — Prabhat. If the "Elephant" will some day blow the "Trumpet", our pictures will conquer the world. But, perhaps, I am dreaming. Still let me do so, as it is a beautiful dream. Miracles do happen even in modern times. DISNEY'S NEW "CARTOONS"? Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven, Dwarfs" is the work of a genius. It is undoubtedly a great achievement. Every one congratulated Walt Disney. And old Disney deserved every good word said of him. But I didn't know that Disney was looking out for charity in floating his wonderful picture. At least that is how the whole affair looked when "Snow White" was released in Bombay and leading Indian producers bought space to advertise Disney's cartoon. It was obvious that "Snow White" required a big push in the papers on the release day and as advertising in the papers costs a lot of money the local Indian producers seemed to come to old Disney's help to put over the show. Compared to Disney, many of the Indian producers are just paupers, but even the paupers were bled. Bravo, Disney, if this has been your idea, you have once again made "cartoons" out of the^ l "human" producers. Thinking of those producers who lent their wit and name to sell "Snow White" I put down my head with utter shame. These producers just lacked national pride. They could have congratulated Walt Disney by writing to him as co-producers, but to go out and sell Disney's product was the last limit of a slavish mentality. That Prabhat, Ranjit and Sagar concerns which boast of nationalism should be parties to this advertising idea shakes the very fibre of our national pride. However much I may like these companies, in this instance I must express my unequivocal condemnation of their action in selling the pride of our country. I do not know who was the "Serpent in the Garden of Eden" who induced these trusting pro* ducers to deliver their national pride into the hands of foreigners to be made an argument at the salesman's counter, but that man must be condemnecL Petty producers hanging on to the name of Disney and attracting attention to themselves can be overlooked, but names like Prabhat, Ranjit and Sagar have no excuse to seek shelter under the name of any Disney, Laemmle or Fox. Their own names can draw better crowds than all the Foxes and Disneys put: together. CALL THE CRITIC AS A DOCTOR! Producers 'in India produce pictures according to their own lights, and most of these lights are generally switched off, and then look-out for the opinions of the critics. The honest ones subsequently admit their mistakes while the dishonest ones call the critics fools. All this is of course absolutely human, but it is just not business. In America, the procedure is just the other way. And certainly that is the more sensible way. The FEBRUARY BRAIN TWISTER The Solution "Slap Kicker is the husband of Tom Scotch's second wife". Prize of Rs. 10| is given to Mrs. Kamal Kumari Nigam Choudhari, 105 298, Srinagar, CAWNPORE, (U.P.) 9