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Proprietors :
FILMINDU PUBLICATIONS Ud. 104, Apollo Street, Fort, Bombay
filmindia
Editor: BABURAO PATEL
VOL. 7
NO. 3
MARCH, 1941
^ack %e 'Dulle\s GhcI Win lite Wa^
\' /] N MODERN times by far the most successful, if not the greatest, propaganda force i';hat the world has ever witnessed is the film iniiustry. Although this is uncontrolled and dictated solely for commercial profit, it has had a (greater effect on the outlook, habits and morals ■of wide sections of mankind of all races in a short time than any other movement, sociological or religious", writes Capt. Sidney Rogerson in his excellent book "Propaganda in The Next War-"
These words of a man who practises propaganda as a profession ought to help us to realize the immense potentialities of the film as an instrument of propaganda for winning this war.
But the duffers who are at present in charge of our war propaganda through films have not yet realized the grave responsibility they are shouldering in taking up this medium of propaganda.
As I have pointed out before almost every member of the Film Advisory Board is incompetent to hold his post and especially so as the work j demands an excellent study of international politics, mass psychology, audience reaction, current sentiment of the people, their conflicting political creeds and first and last a fundamental knowledge of propaganda. The members of the present Board are badly equipped in this respect and therefore disqualify themselves for their present responsibility.
This fact was brought home to me forcibly when I recently saw the war film "London Can Take It" produced by the British Ministry of Information.
"London Can Take It" is a beautifully produced war short. It has an eloquent commentary by Quentin Reynolds of the "Collier's Weekly." The commentary itself is worthy of emulation in India, where commentaries by Claude Scott, Talyarkhan, Genge and others have been so poor.
This war short is eminently suitable for the Britishers whose homes are bombed from day to day. It helps to create a primary element of fear and through it an unbending resistence to the enemy that showers this destruction. The Britishers understand the spirit of the film as every one of them is directly or indirectly going through the fearful experience from day to day. The Britisher's home, hitherto a symbolic castle, is now being outraged and destroyed and the Britisher revolts at it. He steels his mind for a greater resistence to the aggressor and thus the fear primarily created by the heartrending scenes in the film, is soon transformed into a will to resist at all costs. That film has done its work in England.
But not in India. However brave and inspiring may be the example of the unfortunate Britishers, the total effect of the film is still demoralisingThe first impression that is created is that Londoners can take it but while taking it they are being beaten, defeated, and pounded from day to day. And the very next blank created