FilmIndia (1940)

FILMINDI A October 1940 strong commercial possibilities. Then again, apart from the revenue obtained throughout the Indian circuit there is always the open foreign markets from whence an additional source of income shall accrue. SCOPE OF SUBJECTS With her vast array of colour and life — her peoples, customs and ceremonies, her arts, industries and architecture, her folk songs, dances and costumes and her ever changing topography, India veritably presents a gold mine in opportunities for the organised and scientific production of short subjects which not only would be a great source of inspiration to our masses but would be a great factor of education that could be brought home to the very doors of the ' layman and intimately acquaint him with all the things that go up to make this country one of the most fascinating countries in the world. Visual education, assimilated through the mind and the eye, is acclaimed to be one of the greatest mediums of cultural advancement in Western countries. The compulsory showing of appropriate shorts in schools, colleges and churches are a regular routine of the educational system of those countries and where can this be applied with greater advantage than in India — a country seething with diverse and limitless possibilities in this field and where eager and willing minds are ready to assimilate varied pictorial inspiration overcoming all barriers of language? THEIR CLASSIFICATION The short subject field can be classified under the following major heads. 1. Documentaries: pertaining to educational and instructional films of almost any nature in the field of art, industry, ag'riculture, science and sports. 2. Travelogues: pertaining to shorts of descriptive episodes of journeysj of cities, countries and places. 3. Biographies: pertaining to short featurettes, illustrating the highlight in the lives of ^notable personages, history makers and public leaders. s. The News Reels: which as its name implies is relegated to the covering of prominent incidents of daily occurrence of local interest, throughout India. 5. Entertainment: featuring comedy sketches and short musical pieces of local interest. 6. Propaganda: A specialised branch of the short subject field wherein it is essential to capture and present a definite idea for the purpose of counteracting some influence presented on the screen in the form of entertainment. The vast extent of the possibilities in the short subject field, as an integral part of the Indian film industry, must not be overlooked by those with vision and business acu men, for; it is a true saying that one half of India does not know how the other half lives. By means of exploiting such educative forces among the peoples of India and by bringing visual education to schools, colleges and even to the remote villages, India shall be able to understand its peoples more thoroughly in the present day continuous transition of modes and methods of life and thought. With the habit of seeing shorts established. I foresee the day when hundreds of such inspirational institutions shall spring up all over the country creating a mass filmic mentality which will be a valuable contribution to the Indian film industry, and a glorious page in the scientific exploitation of her arts and crafts, her culture and civilization in fact, a mirror, in which India shall see the reflection of her own self, and incidentally fix a beautiful vision for the future. Bette Davis and Charles Boyer in "All This And Heaven Too" the next Warner picture on the screen. Printed by Camer Saleh at the New Jack Printing Works, 75, Apollo Street, Fort, and published by him for 64 "filmindia" Publications Ltd-, from 104, Apollo Street.Fort, Bombay.