FilmIndia (1946)

OQ5 ( This is the reader's forum as and when space permits. From the producer to the lay film-goer, every one can write to the Editor and ventilate his grievance. For every letter published in these columns, the publishers will pay Rs. SiLetters should be signed and marked "Hoes And Echoes". I holographs of the readers will be published along with theit letters, if convenient. — The Editor. ) OPTIMISM I "It is vexatious to watch Motilal, Ishwarlal and Surendra yet acting as lieroes; I think they are already overliue for elimination from the Silver ■Screen. Can't our producers substitute new ones? I presume they can solve ■Jiis problem through the medium of I/our magazine. Isn't it?" j| BOMBAY. D. Natarajan. FAR FROM SWARAJYA I "Can you please tell me why the |:inema-halls showing Indian pictures ■are generally insanitary and noisy? ft Is only in these theatres that hawkers lire allowed to sell pan-bidi, sweets, ■Emits, etc. which leads to a Iregu'ar tiny market. This practice is strictly forbidden in the ■ 'English" houses where one can l:njoy a picture in quite a calm atmospLhere. It becomes all the more intolerlable when the hawkers go on shouting twhile a picture has begun but unforItiinatelv there is no check." NEW DELHI. Ved Parkash Varma. ACCOMMODATING "In most of our films we see that if the hero is to be beaten or molested, the villain or his agents wait for him |to finish his song or whatever he is doling. Can't they be more realistic by showing the interference while he is still engaged?" iGAYA. Syed Iftikhar Husain. IN WILDERNESS "Now that the War is over, there is no reason why the IFI should continue producing pictures which have never been liked by cine-goers. The money spent by the IFI on production of pictures is only waste of tax-payers' good money. I feel film-goers in general and "filmindia" in particular should start an agitation and successfully bring about an early closure of the IFI. "War propaganda picture production should also cease forthwith and our film line should revert to peacetime productions. BOMBAY. M. D. Viswanath. THANKS "The disastrous fires at the offices of the Paramount Films of India, Bombay and Moti Mahal Theatres Ltd., Lahore resulting in the deaths of 19 and 12 persons are nothing but shocking tragedies. A public enquiry should be demanded to investigate the causes of fires and bring the saboteurs to book if any. It is a ghastly crime perpetrated upon the innocent persons who have been burnt to death. You have rightly taken the cause of the victims by asking the companies to compensate their families.' KARACHI. Miss Duru Advani OVERSEAS BLUFFING! "Expert" Hirlekar, in a recent interview with the United Press of America in New York, disclosed that Mr. Walter Lantz of the Universal studios has predicted a great future in India for films. The "mission", Mr. Hirlekar declared, was "cordially" received by the Hollywood Yanks with whom they "discussed" everything connected with Indian film industry. "In spite of your sincere appeals and warnings, these self-styled "experts" with no stake in the industry, which they profess to represent have staged a delegation stunt. Fortuna'ely, three of them have already come back, without having the courage to face the Hollywood Yankees, who, thanks to "filmindia" know at least that these guys do not represent the Indian film industry. If Mr. Hirlekar sincerely shares with Mr. Walter Lantz that Indian film industry has got a great future, the one and only help he can do is to "quit" this precious industry with all his "co-experts". It is an irony of fafe that Indian interests are always represented abroad by the wrong kind of people. BANGALORE. N. S. V. Chalam. FAITH "In its September issue the 'Caravan', a month'y magazine from Delhi, has hit 'Phool' hard, whereas your review of the picture was just the opposite. The two opinions were so contradictory as to have become a puzzle for the cinema-goer. I accordingly saw the picture and found that your com