FilmIndia (Feb-Dec 1949)

binary, 1949 FILMIND1A ,e same time thankful to Minister orarji for his stern action, banning ugnu ', which was passed by his vn Censor Board. The Madras Govnment have also banned it on the )th December quoting reference to e ban in Bombay. Mr. Patel, even ough the Bombay Censor Board is sleepy one, you are there to wake up at the right moment and save e people. But, what about others, pecially we Tamilians who are beg tortured with 18 to 20,000 feet boredom with some obscene inconuities under the label "social m"? If the local Censor Board orks conscientiously, I think, almost 1 pictures in Tamil being produced >w, should meet with the same fate j> "Jugnu". EGAPATAM. N. V. R. Swamy. DON'T MIND VASAN ! "I am sure you are aware that the adras Government recently decid1 to restrict the film footage upto maximum of 13,000 ft. It is really boon to us because it relieves us om seeing worthless pictures, some ' which (e.g., "Chandralekha", "Moni" etc.) are 20,000 ft. long. And ' jw, Mr. Vasan, the boss of Gemini :udio which is notorious for producg such rotten stuff like "Manimma" and "Chandralekha", prosts against this restriction. What A in we do?" I IZAGAPATAM. K. Mukumda Rao CONGRATULATING ! "As from 1st January 1949 the adras Government have issued or ders restricting the footage of films to be exhibited to 15,000 ft. or three hours duration. This may be very bad news for the producers of the South, but to an average cinemagoer, it is a great relief as the length of the films in the South generally exceeds 15.000 ft. Imagine the lot of the people sitting continuously for more than 3 or 4 hours inside a cinema house most of which can hardly be called "cinema houses". I wish to congratulate the Government of Madras through the columns of your esteemed journal on this wise step." BOMBAY. K. N. Rao. THANKS ! "I was surprised to read your reaction to a criticism of Rajajis fabulous (for a poor country like ours) salary in the "Editor's Mail" of Filmindia. W hatever your other defects, I had always credited you with a true democratic spirit. Surely, now that we are (supposed to be?) free, you don't expect us — citizens of a Free India — to think like slaves! The fact that we tolerated (not always) the old regime with all its pomp and show, does not mean that we ought to put up with it now. We have found our long-lost voice and you cannot stifle it any longer. "If anyone is mean, it is those who talk of dignity and prestige in the face of the poverty that is eating away the lives of our people. The glory of a nation does not rest on the glory of a few individuals. As long as the bulk of our people starve. as long as we are the slaves of hunger and disease, we dare not hold up our heads. Unless we demolish the old rotten structure to its verv foundation, how are we going to build the new India of our dreams? The people did not give up their sweat and blood merely to see the continuation of a system they have grown to hate! You cannot wake up a man from deep slumber and immediately want him to fall asleep. Of course you can drug him! '"Well, excuse me Mr. Patel, but I have got to cry: "Shame on you!" MAXGALORE. Vinata Pai. AGREED I "In the editorial comments of your December issue on the film 'Matlabi' that has been banned by the Government of Bombay, you have rightly pointed out what harm is done by the producers of that film, in screening it at Rangoon. It is equally appreciative that your Rangoon reader has brought this fact to your notice in time. In this connection I would like to inform you that this is quite a common affair in India itself, why to speak of Burma or Ceylon. This film 'Matlabi" is now running in the "Permanent' Talkies, Andersonpet, K.G.F. and from this it could be gathered that this condemned stuff of the Government of Bombay is freely allowed in many other places. It is therefore no wonder if it is seen running in a distant country like Burma. "In the present set up, the censorship of films is akin to thai taken against political journals by the different provincial governments. The producer is not much worried if his film is banned in one place, as he is sure to push it somewhere else. Unless the negatives and all positive copies of the film are altogether confiscated the ban over a film may not serve the purpose desired by the censors. T. R. R. Swamy. ROBERTSOXPET, K.G.F. WELL. NANU ? "The local "Olympia Talkies" is a veritable film fan's graveyard. It is highly surprising that this theatre managed by Xanubhai Desai, a partner of Jayantilal Thakore of Famous Pictures and 'Prabhat Talkies' — one of the high class theatres at Bangalore— should be so sadly neglected and managed. "The seats in the 8 as. class are 67