FilmIndia (1939)

Ifrch 1939 FILM INDIA Blinner and then shoot them — "good old fellows", Bio provide an excellent target for the bullets I the white men. Damn cheek, we should call i for a famous writer to commit the sin of abus1* his fellow men and then call upon his intellignce to justify it. But the vital question is whether the white Iin looks upon the coloured person as fellow r man-being? The only hope for the coloured fc:es of the world, is the fact that every white Bin, however, is not as bad as the ruling class. Speaking to a friend of ours Mr. T. F. Birnall, the Chief European Correspondent of the few York Times, who is now in Bombay, thought i; "Gunga Din" article in the last issue of "filmiliia" a very sensible contribution and wondered ■ly American producers produced such pictures Bat offended other nations. j We are relying on men like Mr. Birchall to Bike up the conscience of their people and tell l?m that trade and friendship must be based on Bodwill of a nation. I OLIVER THE ULTIMATUM "Gunga Din" must be banned in India and we H? sure it will be. But the mischief doesn't end W?re. That disgraceful picture will go all round n? world with its cruel, insidious anti-Indian ippaganda, fortified with the knowledge that Innins cannot reach them in other countries. And ft consequence Indians will be defamed as barBrians and dogs. I More drastic measures must be taken to stop Ms mischief. An ultimatum must be given to H.O. Radio Corporation to withdraw the picW*e from the world markets and to destroy the Kjginal negative in the presence of Indian ofnld Is on the pain of all their other productions ting banned in India. A severe step like this will ,tich the other producers a precious lesson which W?y so badly need. We draw the attention of our people to the snificant words of Sardar Chandulal Shah, the C airman of the Reception Committee of the Ino.n Motion Picture Congress and of Rai Saheb <luni Lall, Vice President of the Motion l:\ure Society of India, printed elsewhere in this issue and call upon the people and the Provincial Governments to take immediate drastic action by exercise of the powers enjoyed by them under the present constitution. It was a splendid gesture on the part of the British Board of Film Censors to ban "The Relief of Lucknow" before it went into production at the instance of the Secretary of State for India as the production of a picture like that would not help to improve the relations between the two countries just at present. From our Delhi correspondent, we understand that the Government of India has further warned an English Expedition in India shooting local scenes in colour to guard against the national and religious susceptibilities of our people by avoiding scenes that are likely to embitter the relations between the rulers and the ruled. All this is very correct, but one wonders whether these actions are prompted by a real change of heart or by the crisis that is looming large on the political horizon. Whatever be the reason it is strange to note that when the ruling race of Britishers have relaxed its imperialist outlook to please the Indians, the Americans, who are utter foreigners should go out of their way to scandalise our country, forgetting the primary fact that they are in India mainly for business which depends and flourishes only on the goodwill of the people of this country. OUR SILVER JUBILEE NUMBER The next issue of "filmindia" will be a Silver Jubilee Number. Apart from the fact that it will be the best of our issues, it will be just DIFFERENT from others. It will have more colour plates, more photographs and more reading matter. Don't miss a copy if you are an enthusiastic film fan. Price As. 8 as usual.