FilmIndia (May-Dec 1938)

FILM INDIA December 1938 picture features Miss Chellam. Surya Kumari, Mr. Satagopan and others and the care that was taken in shooting the picture amply supports its 'luck' as a paying proposition. The future programme or the company is not yet known. METROPOLITAN PICTURES. (Madras) : After the success of "Daksha Yagna", the producers have boldly announced their next production as "Maya Machindra". Raja Chandra Sekhar wields the megaphone and that speaks volumes about its prospective success. „ JYOTI FILMS, (Madras): "Ramalingaswamigal" is progressing well under the hands of Director Raghunath and it is expected to be released in the city early next month. ORIENTAL FILMS, (Madras): Miss T. P. Rajalakshmi is 'misunderstood' for a male in "Saguna Sarasa" or "Misunderstood" in Tamil. Miss M. S. Vijayal is playing the leading role. Wonderful! the way South imitates the West. RAJU FILMS, (Madras): "Madurai Veeran" is ready for release and we shall soon tell you how it has fared. VEL PICTURES, (Madras) : This studio was going through a bit of troublesome times during the last month, and it will not be a surprise if they overcome the same and 'fall in the line' shortly. DECCAN CINETONE, (Madras): This infant concern promises to do big things for the future, the way we find producer Raja Rao making headway with the construction of a studio and selecting the artistes; and it will not he long before we find Rajkumari cast In a live story called '"Kulotunga". KUBFRA FILMS, (Nellore) : "Bahkta Markandeya" in Telusu was . received rather well in the mofussil and ought to run well in the city. The next to go into shooting will be "Mayil Ravana". MAHALAKSHMI STUDIOS, (Madras) : 'Tnbasagaran" in Hindi and Tamil is In the finishing stages. Re ports from the South go to confirm the anticipated success of the picture and both of them ought to prove a regular gold mine to the producers. ROYAL TALKIES, (Madras): "Sakubai" has been resumed and Mr. Rao is in charge of the megaphone. With Aswattamma in the cast, this picture is expected to be greater than "Chintamani". FAMOUS FILMS, (Nellore): Mr. Shiraz of Bombay is managing affairs in this concern and the maiden picture to go into production is called "Balaji". VAUHINI PICTURES, (Madras): This is a new concern with an ambitious programme. They are producing a picture called "Vandemataram" in the Newtone studios and the picture is well on way. (Continued from page 43) to take up his responsibilities to the greatest advantage. Film Editing is not an art that can be learned by theory but must be acquired by actual practice in the cutting rooms where the attainment of "Filmic Sense" will later bear fruits. In India, practically all the directors edit their own pictures. So I sincerely advise those who asnire to join the ranks of film directors in India to start from the surest seat of learning — the Editing room of the Studios. For remember, and let me stress once again, that Film Editing is the root of all film knowledge. To a director cutting sense in h!s work is a vital essential, in his mixing of shots and angles in dialogues and movements of his characters the placement of new sequences intercutting with other scenes constituting a harmonious story into composite whole. Film Editing is a very plastic science, each individual — Director or Editor have their own individual methods — but everything, of course, depends on the constructive imagination of the man behind the all-important scissor. (Cntinued from page 13) the Government know how far this price varies with the real one. A clause in the agreement between the Exhibitor and the Distributor reads as follows: "The Exhibitor shall pay to the Distributor as ascertained and liquidated .damages annas 12 per lineal foot as the cost of replacement of each lineal foot of film lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged in any way while the same is in the possession of the Exhibitor or deemed so to be as aforesaid." When the Distributors themselves estimate the cost of their films at 12 annas per foot and recover the same from the suffering Exhibitors from day to day, why should the Government be satisfied with a mere 7 annas per foot unless the Government intends to back up the foreign productions? When 70 lakhs of rupees per year are going out of India as sheer net profits, why should the Government not tax these people further? Increasing the assessment value to even a runee a foot should not be considered as extravagant seeing the large profits made by these people every year. After a careful study of the above figures the Government has a strong reason to raise the taxation Immediately and this mattpr should be forthwith taken up before the next Budget Session of the Central Assembly. In the near future, I prooose to deal with some of the dirty methods practised by some of these foreign distributors to avo:d pacing the full income-tax to the Government by disbursing the income under fictitious heads. I also promise a complete p repose of the exact relations existing between these Distributors and our Fxhibitors after wh'ch I shall leave it to the judgment of the readers whether to call these dealings a business of mutual benefit or one big blackmail practised on our Exhibitors. In the meantime. I shah willingly accept any detailed information from our Exhibitors whicn will help me to make out a case for the protection of our Exhibitors. 48