FilmIndia (Dec 1937 - Apr 1938)

March 1938 FILMIND1A really very much tired when they decided to close down their film branch of the business. And one by one, every producer was given due notice and asked to clear his debts and clear out. Kapurchands had of course, every right to do so, as they were dealing out their own money and nobody could tell them when and how to do so. And besides they were taking great risks. But the action of this important firm of financiers though absolutely justifiable from their own viewpoint had threatened a great crisis in our local film industry. Several concerns were on the point of closing down unless someone came to the rescue with new finance. It would have suited Chandulal Shah very well to have allowed these concerns to close down and thereby lessen the competition which he as a producer had to face. But he didn't do so. He had earned plenty of money in the past both through hard work and luck in this industry and he didn't want to let the industry down by allowing its pillars to crash. The only possibility which presented itself then was to organise a new financing concern with distribution attached to it. Chandulal Shah did the trick when he opened Supreme Film Distributors. It is an open secret that all the finance that this new firm deals out to different producers belongs to one man, viz., Mr. Chandulal Shah. An ordinary businessman would never have gone all out this way to keep his competitors living. But Chandulal Shah did and therefore I call him a strange man. It worries me, however, as to why he did it. And perhaps it will keep on worrying me for ever. Whatever others and I think about this question, one thing is certain, and that is that remaining be 10 hind the scenes unspoken and unadmired, this one man has given the industry in Bombay a further lease of life for some years and to that extent we must be grateful to him. RAI, RANI, AND RAI SAHEB Between Himansu Rai, Devika Rani and Chunilal, the Bombay Talkies have atlast done the trick. Three years ago when this concern was first launched sceptics never believed that a film producing company on those lines would ever be successful. But after three years of solid work the Bombay Talkies have earned a profit of Rs. 1,00,471-13-7 and declared a dividend of 7 percent for all preference share-holders. The capital expenditure of the company must have been great in the early beginning, and it is admirable how they could have liquidated the same and shown a clean profit. And still they have done it and all laurels to them for it. And now you know & MARCH BRAIN TWISTER PRIZE OF Rs. 10|-. To the 1st correct solution picked up At random from our mail. The Raja of Timbuktoo has on two occasions presented his wife with pearls — 9,382,481 pearls in all. On her engagement he gave her, for each year of her age, as many boxes as she was years old. In each box were as many caskets as there were boxes for each year; in each casket as many strings of pearls as there were caskets in each box; on each string as many pearls as there were strings of pearls in the casket. He gave her a second present on her wedding day planned on identical lines. The Ranee is young and very beautiful. She was married yesterday. What was her age at engagement — and what is her age when married? Only one prize will be given. Address replies to: The Editor, "filmindia", 104, Apollo Street, Fort, Bombay.