FilmIndia (Feb-Dec 1949)

arch, 1949 FILMINDI A tjinjeet Kuniuri becomes a solid proposition in "Aahuti" i. "Anokhi Qurbani", a social story produced by Sansar Movietone Ltd. I.mn for mere '"requests", remembered Gandhiji only ■ their new box-office salesman and attaching different jlpndhiji trailers to their own putrid pictures widely lllvertised special shows for the Sarvodaya Day. They were all ready to pull in the cash of the day Bit they had not reckoned the temper of the people ■llrrectly. Gandhiji lives in millions of Indian hearts find three million of these in Bombay were in no mood II be entertained on the anniversary of the very day _ l|hen the Father of our nation was assassinated. The ever-alert foreign exhibitors realized this tern■ | ;r of the people an evening earlier and rushed a notice i the press announcing the closing of their cinemas. I at the Indian cinema owners had to see threatening Irowds before their cinemas to induce them to stop their ■tows. Is this not disgusting? After this disgraceful exllbition of cheap, mercenary sentiment can any decent I an extend any sympathy to the film industry? Gandhiji's day of death was not a state secret. Jt was Ijte whole world's prayer day, and it will remain so I trough centuries to come. And yet not one of the differIlit associations of film producers, distributors, exhibi[i>rs, artistes, importers and technicians who rushed t^ irland Minister Morarji Desai, issued a direct:ve to its lembers to observe the Sarvodaya Day in a manuer betting the solemnity of the, occasion^ Couldn't the associations of producers, distributors and exhibitors have asked their members to close all cinemas for a day as a tribute to the Father of our Nation? They didn't. And this disgusting fact both the Government and the people must always bear in mind whenever they find these filthy, mercenary minds cashing Gandhiji's name. YOU'LL HARDLY BELIEVE— That Jayashree. of course according to V. Shantaram s publicity blurb, was not the only one to be offered a Broadway engagement by the Yankees. Our Governor Maharaj Singh was also once offered 90 dollars a day for a stage appearance in America. These Yankees have a rare sense of slapstick. That prohibition or no prohibition Producer Balm rao Pai celebrated the silver jubilee of his "Pyarki-Jeet" by a grand cocktail party at the Taj. Of course, he couldn't risk inviting Protima Dasgupta. That of all people the great V. Shantaram, brother of V. Kashinath in turn brother of V. Avadhoot, himself attended the cocktail party and talked only of his "Shiv-Shakti" and his censorship responsibilities pushing the little Pai into a corner and taking the kick out of the cocktail. That Y. Shantaram, brother of Y. Kashinath in turn brother of Y. Avadhoot, has warned the people of India that 1949 is a Y. Shantaram year. We had better write off this year from our life-time if we are going :o get more "Bhools". That Y. Shantaram confessed before that South Indian producer S. S. Yasan that the quality of Rajkamal pictures had touched the bottom these days but he would take it to the top during 1949. Yasan, of course, did not understand that word "quality" used by V ankudre. That Chandulal Shah became red — I beg your pardon — dark with rage seeing his favourite courtier Pandit Indra dancing attendance on S. S. Vasan and neglecting the Ranjit durbar. Thirty thousand rupees is big money for Panditji if not for Chandulal. That under the temporary influence of Vasan, Pandit Indra did not even back Chandulal's "Balam" in the Derby and thus wished otherwise to the great Sardar. These Marwaris, they shift their loyalties according to profits. That black seems to be Chandulal's lucky colour the way the two blackies "Chakori" and "Balam" won the Derby for him twice. It is a personal case of colour harmony. That no sooner Chandulal had won the Derby, Taimur, the timid, handed his Seth a list of weekly payments. That took the taste of victory out of the Seth's mouth. That D. S. Thakur, the Secretary of the Workers' Union, danced with joy when he heard of Chandulal winning the Derby. He has now sent another reminder