FilmIndia (May-Dec 1938)

FILMINDIA September 1938 penings, we can well realise what a serious blunder was committed by the Indian Prince in helping this ungrateful crowd of foreigners. One particular incident should prove an eyeopener to all the Indian States and particularly to the Maharana of Udaipur who is ever willing to help the foreigners, attracted probably by the illusive glamour of the West and charmed by the colour of their skin. To expect the Germans to be grateful to the Indians is a tall order, but when they forget the ordinary obligations of humanity by giving vent to the most ungrateful and irresponsible expressions of their mind, Indians must stand up and take notice. "Foreign News Service," the Semi-Official organization reports the following having been said by an important member of the Tobis Film Expedition. Read it yourself:— "It was terribly difficult to deal with the people there. They work like snails and some of the natives were so stupid that it would have saved time to train a dog. "You can have no idea of how it was. For example, we had ten girls for the bathing scene with the "princess" who simply didn't turn up the next day, although they were satisfied with the pay. They preferred to do hard manual labour than to make films. NO EUROPEAN IS EVER ALLOWED TO TOUCH AN INDIAN WOMAN; THAT IS, NO MAN, THEY FEEL POLLUTED IF YOU DO. Now imagine Richard Eichberg (the director) seeing that the women were standing wrong and doing everything wrong, and didn't understand a word of English, and he unable to go in and show them what they ought to do. It was enough to drive anyone crazy". This is what we have got in return for the hospitality that we had shown to the Germans when they were on our soil. To expect the modern German to repent for v/hat he has said, is practically impossible. In 4 his utter arrogance of newly found national pride and power, the modern German has become blind to all the finer feelings of sentiment which distinguish a better type of human being. "THE TIGER OF ESCHNAPUR" This is the film which these Germans produced when in India. It is the story of an Indian Maharaja who falls in love with a European dancer in Paris and brings her back to India as his Maharanee. The dancer's previous lover, of course an European, follows the girl to India and passing through a series of Indian "cruelties" takes the girl back. The Maharaja pursues but ultimately loses. The European has vanquished the Indian, as usual. The picture has already been shown in several European towns and a Prague report says: — "Around this thin story are woven various and varied scenes, many weird and several highly sex-ridden. The Raja's life is shown, as dominated by the sexual factor with a harem touch and suggestion of extreme ruthlessness to assert his will. The film, by way of contrast, at places casts ridicule on Indian life and at places rather mockingly presents it as strangely primitive." There are obvious references to the primitive and animal instincts prevalent among the men and the women of India and a laboured attempt has been made to reveal the supposed superiority of the European. "Tiger of Eschnapur" is in short an obnoxious film which is at present doing dirty work in the European countries by defaming Indians and exposing them to the ridicule of the world. This picture is now coming to India and it is a pity that it can come to India though it is in spirit and essence anti-Indian. We are told that Mr. M. B. Billimoria has purchased the picture for India and is going to chaperon its release. He can do so, because he is the Treasurer and Member of the Executive Committee of the Motion Picture Society of India and feels safe. Mr. Billimoria has perhaps forgotten that the Society has been carrying on a