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December, 1940
FILM INDIA
extend the editorial page policy of the "Chronicle" to its cinema page.
At least that was my ambition and, perhaps, that wculd explain why the page I edited was so "prejudiced" in favour of pictures like "Savkari Pash" (even if they were technically inferior ) , why I preferred Shantaram's realism to Devaki Bose"s mysticism, William Dieterle"s idealism to Lubitsch's reactionary though brilliant ccmedy.
WHAT I DID FOR OTHERS
How far I succeeded or failed in this task is not for me to judge. I honestly believe that though I allowed my instinct to be the sole guide in evaluation of films, personal considerations never entered into it. I kept them out inspite of pretty severe prove cations. The seven column "boost" for "Admi" was written after personally spending three days' salary on seeing the picture with friends, as no journalists were invited on the opening day — and who can wait 24 hours to see a Shantaram picture! Two days alter the Eros management insulted mo at a press show for slashing "The Sun Never Sets" as imperialist propaganda, I came cut with a seven column streamer for their
Motilal and Madhuri once again team together in "Shadi" a social
picture of Ranjit.
"Peter The Great." Talking about insults, among the dozen leading cinemas in Bombay with the exception cf one, I have been insulted (sometimes actually turned out) at
Nandrekar and Romola in "qaidi" a Film Corporation picture.
every one of them. I don't complain. Born with an unimpressive perse nality I have learnt to take personal insults for granted. If T did not, those sensational reviews of "Zola", "Admi", "Mr. Smith" "Chingari" and "Pagal' would never have been written.
I den't say I have always been hundred per cent correct in my reviews. I once thought an ordinary picture to be very powerful tragedy because I noticed a notoriously tough but really soft-hearted and sentimental film critic who was sitting next to me actually shedding tears during the show! And two mcst competent technicians assure me that my praise of Barua's photography in "Zindagi" was unjustified. It is possible to be honestly misguided.
But to believe in one's cwn impartiality and to convince other of it are two different things. And in course cf time I came to be accused of partiality from all sides. The producers said I was pampering the stars and flattered me by suggesting that because of my writing they were demanding fabulous sa
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