FilmIndia (1939)

FILMINDI A January 1 will always remain as hallowed milestone in the history of our film industry. Mr. Phalke created then, what our present, day producers can hardly imagine now. He gave to our country a new medium of entertainment and to our nation a new instrument of culture. His lone initiative has to-day become the sole bedrock of an industry that will some day build a nation. He laid the foundation and left the younger men to build the super structure. Lakhs of rupees have been invested for an idea which this old man once created 25 years ago. When Mr. Phalke was seriously experimenting with this all important instrument of films, several of our present day producers were either in the cradle or in the school. Verily he is the father in age and in enterprise. But time travels fast and the old man couldn't keep pace with it. Men get old with years and age slackens their enterprise. The father is 68 years old to-day and is forgotten in his retirement at Poona. When lakhs of rupees are being dissipated to-day in picture production and its allied trades by the younger squad, the old man, the father, is on the verge of virtual starvation. Thousands will be spent in mere showmanship in the forthcoming celebrations while the grand old man will see this pile of money burning from a distance on an empty stomach. Is it not fair and necessary that the industry should honour this great man at this time by expressing its gratitude towards him in a way that will make his future passage towards Eternity more comfortable? Why not start a Phalke Purse Fund? We are merely asking for Justice! And we cannot recommend a better deed to begin the New Year with. It would be proper for Prabhat to give a splendid lead by opening the Purse Fund with a munificent contribution in keeping with their brilliant traditions of success. 4 A THOUGHT FOR THE NEW YEAR I wish all my readers a happy and prosper* New Year. During my recent illness, I received num ous letters of sympathy and good wishes. I < not thank my unknown friends simply becausi am still unwell and I preferred to enjoy the aff> tionate warmth of their good wishes a lit longer, in the hope that my health would improNow, however, it is improving, but the progrc is painfully slow. Nevertheless, I thank all j their kind regard and sympathetic concern abc me. As I go to the press, my secretary has count the large number of Christmas Cards which have received so far from my readers. They a still coming. But the number counted comes exactly 2338 and nearly 85 per cent of these a made in some foreign country. Several of the cards are expensive and may have cost my kii friends nearly a rupee each. Calculating their cost even at a flat minimu rate of four annas each, Rs. 584-8-0 have bet spent in wishing Happy 'Xmas to one man, wl being a Hindu is hardly expected to be sen' mental about Christmas, especially when his ov religion has provided umpteen occasions in a si gle year for such luxurious expressions of senl ment. Though I appreciate the affection and kin ness of my readers in sending me these 'Xm; Cards, I still think that it is a big waste of mone which our country cannot afford at the presei LOOK OUT FOR THE NEXT ISSUE A sensational article on Director Barua And his "Adhikar" Written by D. F. KARAKA the international writer who wrote that remarkable book, "I Go West" and became famous. Mr. Karaka's article, which is exclusive for "filmindia" is brilliant, but unfortunately it annoys — and why? DON'T MISS THE FEBRUARY 7SSUE.