Filmindia (1941)

riLMINDI A May 1941 dentials. In fact, his family's conscientious war effort, his own and his charming wife's, is already known to one and all. And yet, one would expect an honest, straightforward gentleman like Mr. Walter to issue a statement of bookings on fhe tax-free copies, if not to prove his own honesty, at least to set an example of honesty to others. We would welcome this statement with open arms and give it a wide publicity. In the meanwhile the Europeans in the film industry will do well to remember what the Editor of the "Times of India" says in its issue of the 29th April: "The unpleasant fact is that as a whole the British community in India is contributing much less to the war than their kinsmen anywhere else in the Empire, and less, much less, than America.' This being a Britisher's verdict on his brother Britishers in the country ought to wake up all. And one way to do so is to place all the cards on the table. A REQUEST TO OUR READERS In this issue has been enclosed a Readers' Research Questionnaire with a Free Return Postage Envelope and for the first time all the readers of "filmindia" are asked to take a definite part in the general policy of giving a better "filmindia" every month. This questionnaire is the outcome of a wager between our popular editor and a friend of his. Whenever Baburao Patel speaks he insists on calling his readers very intelligent and loyal. It seems that the other party has challenged this statement and a Questionnaire has been evolved to prove Baburao Patel's claim. It is now up to the readers of "filmindia" to back their popular editor by returning a record number replies to the Questionnaire. Incidentally, it is in their own interest to do so as the future issues will be considerably influenced by the results obtained in this Readers' Research. So if you want a better, more interesting "filmindia" from month to month in future, please do your bit. BABURAO PATEL ELECTED UNANIMOUSLY The second Annual General Meeting of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce was held on the 9th April 1941 and the following office bearers for the next year were elected. President: Mr. K. Subrahmanyam; Vice Presidents: Mr. M. T. Rajen; Mr. H. M. Reddi; Mr. J. Bannerji; Mr. G. Ramabrahman; Secretaries: Mr. P. K. Viswanathan; Mr. K. J. Mahadevan; Treasurer: Mr. S. Soundararajen. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR 1941—42 Messrs. C. P. Sarathy, S. Moreshwar, Jayantilal Thakore, S. A. Sami Pillai, J. R. Patel, K. S. Narayan, Akbar Fazalbhoy, V. Shantaram. Baburao Patel, Editor, "filmindia", W. G. Osmond, B. N. Reddy, Y. V. Rao, C. Parthasarathy Naicker, L. L. Patel, Nashwan Irani, S. B. Kapadia, K. Viswanathan, Haribhai Desai, K. P. Mahadevan, Serukalathur Sama, W. J. Moylan, Din. shaw Tehrani, T. V. Neelakantam Pillai, K. A. Ganesh, V. SUaraman, T. S. Ramanathan, K. S. V. Ramani, tITA (ADLYLE K. R. Narayan, M. N. M. Pavalar, Srimati R. B. Lakshmi Devi, Srimati P. Kannamba and Srimathi C. A. Radha Bai M.A.M. Litt. A new addition to the Executive Committee is our popular editor, who was unanimously elected. MYSORE MUST TELL US The Mysore State has taken objection to the trenchant remarks of Miss Rita Carlyle in her article in the issue of April. Mr. Da Costa, Private Secretary, to the Dewan of Mysore, is surprised that some statements of Miss Carlyle, which according to him are inaccurate, should have been allowed to appear in "filmindia." Well, we can't blame Miss Carlyle much, because she gave her first impressions of what she saw in Bangalore and Mysore. The Mysore State does not seem to be having a Tourist Department to contact visiting journalists and show them over the development of the State. If they had, Miss Carlyle would not have been left alone to gather her own impressions. In all foreign countries, visiting journalists are contacted by the Tourist Departments and explained things in the right way, because journalists write about what they see. If Mysore is to be called modern, the State must immediately organize an efficient Tourist Department without forgetting to provide for a decent hotel and an uptodate guide to the State and its activities. Anyway, Miss Carlyle is herself very pleased with the objection which the Dewan's Secretary has taken. She now knows that the State has several industries in full swing such as: the Bhadravati Iron and Steel Works, The Mysore Sugar Factory. The Mysore Paper Mills, The Silk Weaving Factory, The Cement Works, The Match Factory, The Chemical Factory. The Sandalwood Oil Factory, The Electric Factory, The Porcelain Factory, The Mysore Glass and Enamel Works, The Soap Factory and The Mysore Spun Silk Mills. But beyond the sandalwood oil and the soap. Miss Carlyle has neither seen the Mysore matches nor the Mysore sugar and she knows that with the present shortage of foreign paper, she cannot use the Mysore paper for "filmindia". The State has supplied us with imposing names but one wonders whether Miss Carlyle's original remark, "The State has created numerous models but it is time now that the models start growing Into big industries", can still be challenged. The one way to do so would be to find and be able to buy the different Mysore products in the All India markets. And I know, being a smoker, that you don't yet get a Mysore Match in the Bombay shops. The Dewan's Secretary goes on to quote many other social and cultural activities of the State to dis» prove the statements i^q ?glitor's Secretary. 10