FilmIndia (1939)

bruary 1939 FILMINDI A 9. Preventing foreign financiers from obtainrg control over Indian film industry. (This danfc is imminent now). 10. Protective tariff in imports of films and ichinery. 11. Increase of valuation and duty on ex;ed films. 12. Establishing a factory for manufactur; raw films and other photographic materials, eferably a state-aided concern. 13. Stopping the foreigners from securing teatres or a chain of theatres, as is being slowly stfne at present. 14. Banning and generally overhauling the cnsoring rules to keep out pictures ridden with sx and crime. 15. Investigating possibilities of foreign rarkets for Indian films. 16. Scrapping the entertainment tax and reqcing electric and other charges proportionately. 17. Providing unemployment insurance. 18. Stricter enforcement of the Workmen's Gmpensation Act and the Factories Act. vling 19. Licensing the theatre operators and proto them facilities and protection. These are some of the problems which the Iitional Planning Committee must face when teparing their plans for the Indian film industry. The object of National Planning is to improve tie life of the community, mould its economic cistence, widen its outlook on life, provide it a ijgher stake to live and compete, secure equitable retribution of the rewards of labour and last but ' it the least, create a patriotic desire for the hilding of a new nation. And for all this, what ae can be a more powerful instrument of probanda than a cinema film? "Young as the industry is, the burden of its tture development rests upon the provincial fvernments whose concern it is to surround it vth conditions calculated to promote its growth ad popularity." These remarks in the recent <mmunique issued by the Government of India while clearly defining the rights of the provincial governments also throws on them a great responsibility. Will our film industry get a square deal? Let us wait and see. MR. HIRLEKAR'S PIONEERING CONTRIBUTION Unless one finds out for himself the unfortunate fact that it is almost next to impossible to get any correct information and collect the various statistics about our film industry either from the different governments or from those actually working in the industry, one cannot realize the importance of the invaluable contribution of Mr. K. S. Hirlekar in publishing his new booklet "Place of Film in National Planning". In a foreword to this all important log of reliable facts and figures about the industry, the Hon. Mr. K. M. Munshi, the Home Minister to the Government of Bombay says "Mr. K. S. Hirlekar, who has considerable experience in the subject and has taken pains to study the question from all its aspects has written a thought provoking pamphlet. It gives an idea to the reader as to the role, the film has played in other countries of the world and what are the difficulties in the way of its playing a similar role effectively in India." Written in an unmercifully patriotic spirit the little book bristles with facts and figures eloquent of the apathy with which the Central and the Provincial Governments have so far looked at the Indian film industry. We recommend the book to all serious students of our film industry, but particularly point out its significance as a practical help to the National Planning Committee. THE PRICE OF POPULARITY The price of a single copy of "filmindia" will be eight annas from the month of March. The annual subscription will however remain the same —that is Rs. 5 per year for inland and Rs. 8 for foreign countries. Why has the price to be put up? Well, popularity has its own price. The sales of "filmindia" have been going up for the last 18 months and