Filmindia (1941)

February^ 1941 "Gladhurst", Juhu, Bombay 25. And I don't open my wife's letters but she passes them on to me after reading. P. D. Mathur (Benares) Which is the most successful picture of 1940? "Bandhan" produced by the Bombay Talkies is the biggest box-office success of the year. It is proving a gold mine to the producers. K. D. Misra (Gaya) Will you agree with me if I say that beauty of the Star plays an important part in the popularity of a film? Almost a vital part. If the story is effectively produced a beautiful star will take it to the extreme heights of popularity. But where have we the beau. ties? All that we are given are some Mongolian features which degrade the screen. And the pity is that, in the absence of the real stuff, I have to call some of them beautiful. R. Buchi Veeriah (Secunderabad) Is it true that Shanta Hublikar has married a rich old man and that she won't appear in films? She has married a rich young man who is broad-minded enough to let her continue her screen career. You will see her in "Prabhat" a social pictilrre of Tarun Pictures. Anand Mohan Sinha (Kashi) What is the name of the next social picture of Bombay Talkies and who are the principal players? "Naya Sansar" is the name of the picture and it features Ashok Kumar and Renuka Devi. Jogendra Nath Misra (Bhagalpur) Who is the best singer among Surendra, Ashok Kumar and Harish? I think Surendra is about the best. I want to know the whereabouts of Kamlesh Kumar!? So do I. B. S. HEGDE (Bombay) Is it a fact that Devika Rani has ceased to act? It's fiction. Banwarilal Sigtia (Benares) I am always advised by my elders not to see fiJms. They say it is waste of time and money. Don't worry about this advice of the elders. It is orthodox and reactionery. Our theatres are fast becoming good school rooms where the best social and cultural education will be soon available. Take those elders to see "Padosi" and ask them after FILMINDIA wards whether the picture was worth their time and money. And ten to one, they will go and see it again and perhaps again and again. Akhauri B. Nath (Ranchi) When will Mr. Chaturbhuj Doshi complete his "Adhuri Kahani"? When Sardar Chandulal writes its last chapter. J. D. Patil (Lahore) Compare and contrast Directors Mehboob and Kardar in all respects. Both are excellent directors and both are eminently successful. Each of them has developed an individuality of his own in his work. As men, while Kardar smiles, Mehboob laughs. Where Kardar frowns, Mehboob shouts. While Kardar is sweet and subtle, Mehboob is blunt and honest. While Kardar acts, Mehboob lives. The two men are poles apart and between the two I would rather take a sincere hit on the back from Mehboob than a warm handshake from Kardar. It is difficult to take Kardar's temperature and no one in the industry has succeeded yet. Mehboob is a product of the modern rough and tumble life while Kardar is a relic of the mediaeval times when courtiers said one thing and meant another. Remember that both are rather rare types. L. D. Shirvastava (Rajnandgaon) You denounce "Geeta" while "The Times of India" speaks highly of it. Please enlighten. "The Times of India" probably wants you to pay the producers so that the producers can pay the Times' advertisement bills. "Filmindia" is essentially for the readers and its reviews are not influenced by the advertisements. Sumati Gupte returns to the screen in "Thoratanchi Kamla" a Famous Arun picture. 31