FilmIndia (1940)

FILMINDiA September 1940 MUSIC FOR EMOTIONS Above all. it must be remembered that the majority of people go into the theatres not so much to see a bit of the real life around them caught in a camera, as it were, and reproduced before them for their information, as to escape at least for the time being from the real life in which they have been actively participating all day long. They would naturally feel greater relief and joy by being transported into a new world where things exist as they ought to according to their conscious or sub-conscius conception. Such being the case, is there any doubt that music helps this function of the 'drama' by acting as a good solvent for pJtty and sordid interests of the worky-dayworld and as a medium for the ex pression of idealized emotions? Music manifestly aids art in its idealistic objective and so long as film stars refrain from indulging in a pedantic ostentation of musical skill, more music will be quite welcome from them. THE LANGUAGE OF EMOTIONS Besides, limitations of language impose a handicap upon the Indian film-industry, and it is high time that some device were found out to counteract it as far as posisblo. A film produced in any one provincial Vatsala Kumtekar in "Thief of Tartar'' a Mohan picture. language of India is naturally bound to be less attractive to the audience in other linguistic p-ovinces. No doubt. Hindi films are exceedingly popular in South India. But that is because of their manifest superiority in technique over South Indian films. Beally. it is in spite of the language difficulty that those people in the South who have not had the opportunity to learn Hindi, appreciate the Hindi films so much. Even then, it is a pity that many of the subtleties of expression in Hindi, particularly humour, fall flat upon a South Indian audience the majority of whom have not got sufficient mastery of the language to enter into the delicacies of meaning and niceties of expression in the original. It is. therefore, worthwhile considering how far film effects which are entirely dependent upon language— intricacies can be minimized. Fortunately, there are several elements in a film other than language which can contribute to their success. For instance, music, dance gesture, facial expressions, — in short, everything that comes under what may be called "the universal language of emotions" are at the disposal of the film artist. This does not mean that a film should be reduced to a mere opera or a pantomime. All that is intended is that the "language of emotions" should be given greater prominence in Indian films than the "language of the intellect". In making this statement, one has in mind, of course, mainly the North Indian films. The Southern variety has to think of a good many other improvements before it starts thinking of its music; for, here music is still often employed to cover a multitude of 'sins.' All the stars seem to meet in "Diwali" a Ran jit picture directed by Jayant Desai. Meet them in a line: 46 Madhuri, Vacanti, Motjlal and Ishwarlal.