FilmIndia (1946)

FILM INDIA January, 194b merits about the film are frank and correct and hence praiseworthy. I have marked the same in respect of your views about certain other films also and can say that "Filmindia", as it should be, is a good guide to the movies." NEW DELHI. S. Chandra Jain. EST PAKISTAN? "Not minding the review of "filmindia" I deliberately insisted upon seeing 'Humayun', but to my utter disappointment, the picture was a stupendous failure. Throughout the picture I felt as if I was searching in vain for an oasis in a vast desert. I had not imagined even in dreams that Is Meenaxi angry or frightened in "Akash Deep" of Jayant Films ? a capable man like Mehboob could deteriorate to such a deplorable extent. Mr. Patel, where has the fellow lost his original brain?" CAWNPORE. Savitri Devi Shukla. YOUR WAY "I often wonder why South Indian Producers are not coming forward to take their place in the great 'filmindia'. Not even a single South Indian picture is advertised in its precious pages. Either they arc under a foolish 'inferiority complex' or some false propaganda is being made by interested filmjournals of the South regarding the bold reviews of 'filmindia'. If the latter is the reason, I wish to declare that "filmindia" is something of an institution to the film-fans of South India. "No doubt, the film industry in the South is in its infancy and it has to pass through many trials and tribulations before it takes its place in the Indian film industry. A grand total of a handful of fi.m stars, producers and directors exploit the industry here and educated classes, as a whole, think it a job for a couple of 'Bhagavathars' and 'Subbulakshmis.' "Let the South Indian film industry look to the "filmindia" for its future and let it not, for God's sake, carry all its activities behind closed doors. "I am pessimistic unless some miracle happens; for, we are "Dravidians" and Periyar E. V. Ramaswami Naicker is proclaiming to the world that the South is a separate nation and has nothing at all in common with the rest of India. "Will you suggest a way out, Mr. Patel?'* BANGALORE. N. S. V. Chalam ADVISED "Mehboob's 'Humayun' a disgusting perversion of historical facts, is an utter failure. Not only is its music exceedingly poor but also the selection of Ashok as the hero who seems to be 'a square peg in a round hole' is devoid of all sense of discrimination and propriety. The director's over-zealousness to attach overwhelming importance to Hindu-Muslim unity betrays history. Will you please advise Mehboob to concentrate on social pictures if he wishes to maintain his reputation?" NEW DELHI. Miss Shakuntala Khanna. STAMP COLLECTORS "Mr. R. K. Reshine's complaint about "Best Film Story Of The Year Competition" of National Studios is quite correct. I also sent my two stories, one with dialogues and songs and one without, and I sent them by registered post with acknowledgement due. After that they remained silent for nearly two months. I posted a letter but it resulted in no reply. Again I posted a letter with six pice stamps but this was also not replied. They kept those six pice in their pocket and are perhaps still waiting for some more pice to cover charges of pen, ink, and paper so that they may write." BENARES I. N. Bhartiya. SOUTH INDIANS, EH? "In some picture theatres in the South, people, who leave their cycles in the theatre premises and attend shows, are required to pay a fee ranging from 6 pies to one anna per cycle for safe custody. Won't it be a courteous service if the theatre-owners vclunteercd this custody without charging? Seeing Indian pictures is enough penalty without having to pay this extra tax." NAGORE. N. Venkatesan. LOOKS LIKE Arc our film producers in any way better than sheep? They blindly follow the formula of a successful picture! Mythological, Historical, So Pacuna Bannerjee, a new comer introduces herself in "Moorti", a Rah jit picture. cials are all over! Now lovers' stories are in vogue! They will dump these silly ones till we are disgusted with them. Have they no brains? Can't they think of producing good pictures? Is this land of 400 million souls barren of sufficient material for stories?" BANGALORE. S. C. Sivananjappa. TOO HUMAN A REMEDY "My woe is that I simply want Indian Motion Pictures to move and thus do justice to their name. I hate their static quality, their lingering habit. They are heavy-gaited like toads. Our producers seem to put more faith in ^6