Filmindia (1941)

The Film Hduisory Board Rffair n Potential Danger To Industry Replace The Incompetent Staff By: V. A. Gaitonde [In this letter to the Editor, Mr. Gaitonde points out the inefficiency of the present executives oj the Film Advisory Board and appeals to the Government to vverhaul the entire machinery — The Editor], I take this opportunity to heartily congratulate you on the stand taken by you in exposing the maladministration of the Film Advisory Board, and I think my sentiment will be echoed by all those who have the nationalist outlook, and by all those who are sincerely interested in the progress and the development of the indigenous film industry. Whatever the interested parties may have to say, I for one have been convinced beyond doubt by the facts that you have published, which incidentally fully corroborate with the information in my hand, that the attitude you have adopted is right. PROVOKES WIDE SPREAD CONDEMNATION In fact, it is in the interest of the country in general and the film industry in particular that the inherently unreasonable and unbusinesslike methods of the Film Advisory Board ought to have been thoroughly exposed by our film journals; it is in the fitness of things that the "fllmindia" should take the lead and bring to the light those facts concerning the board and its personnel which cannot but provoke wide-spread condemnation of the Film Advisory Board. But the question that occupies the mind of every one interested in the film industry is, what our leading exhibitors, distributors and producers are doing in the matter? By what means they are going to render effective help to "filmindia" and assert themselves in the interests of the film industry itself? Or, is it to be taken for granted that this question of the Film Advisory Board is not deemed a worthy cause of fight by our Film Magnates? So far as I am aware the bosses in the film industry are sleeping over the question; hardly they are alive to its gravity and importance. Naturally, any talk of marshalling all resources to combat the harmful activities of the Film Advisory Board would be of no purpose as far as our film "Bosses" are concerned. Here let me point out that nobody would be more pleased than myself if my observations about film "Bosses" go wrong and if some Mr. V. A. Gaitonde, General Manager of Brilliant Pictures Ltd. of them do stand by "filmindia" in the campaign it has launched against the Film Advisory Board. OUR "STILL BORN" SOCIETIES Yet, I have my own misgivings. After all these years in the film industry I can say with authority that in our country there are several institutions and societies living like parasites on the motion picture industry and yet vociferously professing to promote the development of the Indian films. These parasites, as I call them, have always shown the attitude of a 'still-born' child of the industry whenever occasions arose for launching active campaigns against certain unhealthy policies or administrative measures concerning the film industry in our country. These parasites have done great disservice to the industry on which they have thriven and ought to be severely censured. INCOMPETENCE OF THE STAFF Whether or not the vested interests and parasites take any part in this campaign, the fact remains that the Film Advisory Board, as the "filmindia" has already stressed, far from helping the development of the Indian film industry is undermining its own natural course of progress. Without attributing any motives it is manifestly clear that the profound ignorance of the persons who selected the staff of the Film Advisory Board is mainly responsible for the present state of affairs. Sheik Mukhtar and Swarup Rani create a thrilling drama in "Sister" a social picture of National directed by Mehboob. 21