Filmindia (1941)

FILMINDIA September 1941 story of inefficiency, lack of co-operation and misdirected energy." And yet the Englishman slept the sleep of the just. His democratic fibre rebelled at the idea of waking up and doing something. After a century of ennui, how can one expect the goodrnatured Englishman to shift for himself just because a few scribblers chose to criticise. To hell with Hitler! Who cared? The Englishman was defending the last citadel of freedom. Was that not enough moral justification for his survival even though he was found sleeping on the turrets? Poland had fallen. Denmark was occupied. Norway invaded. Belgium run over. Holland attached and France conquered. And still the Englishman was trying to spell Czechoslovaki a and wondering where the hell could that country be. Once again "John Bull", that fearless paper which the Englishman created in his moment of social conscience and forgot, roared: "In recent months, a considerable part of the national resources is being drained away through carelessness, inefficiency, muddle and plain tom-foolery. Once again, therefore, we say "DAMN THIS WASTE! STOP THE LEAKS AND WHERE NECESSARY, SACK THE DUFFERS". Referring to the film propaganda John Bull wrote: "WE CONCLUDE THAT A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ALL THE TIME AND MONEY SPENT ON BRITISH PROPAGANDA FILMS HAS BEEN A DEAD LOSS". And yet the Englishman slept and in his sleep smiled like an innocent babe. But Hitler was not sleeping. He was marching. He poisoned one nation after another with his aggressive film propaganda and marched into them and crushed the final fragrance of freedom beneath his heels of tyranny. When the first long-distance gun roared across the English Channel, the Englishman woke up, annoyed. In that moment of annoyance, Churchill, perhaps the greatest Englishman of all times, was born to become the solitary symbol of British doggedness and courage. The whole Empire vibrated with the dynamic words of this man and to play its part, the Government of India formed the Film Advisory Board to advise about and to produce war propaganda films thoug'h in a characteristic English way, the English sprinkling amongst the officials did not openly admit this. The tragic progress of the Film Advisory Board is now a matter of history. In our opinion, the Board has failed to deliver the goods and at a time when we need them most. In her heart of hearts, India realizes the vital importance of a British victory. Even the extreme political opinion in the country wants Britain to win. And yet the Government of India seem to contribute the least to this victory of the future. It is not our field to criticise the Government for apathy in the departments of defence, economics or politics. There are many able critics who have been doing sentinel service in this respect. We are concerned with the Government's obligations in the field of film propaganda. And in this field we accuse the Government of apathy, carelessness, inefficiency and of causing waste of public's money. Not one film so far produced by the Film Advisory Board has justified its expense and purpose. Not one will, till the entire ramshackle Film Advisory Board is completely overhauled. Several members of the Board don't even attend its meetings regularly. They are there formally, to save their faces. Several Indian producers watch the activities of the Board with amusement and from a distance. These hypocrites are of no use to us if we are to win the war. The Government try to threaten us for criticising the activities of the Board. The Government ought to lock some of the members up for their criminal indifference. We are at war and we must win it — whatever the cost. If the Government accept this truth, what are they waiting for? Sack Alex Shaw, overhaul the Board, compel the members to attend, demand the co-operation c; the film industry, produce dynamic war films and do a hundred and one things but win the war. , Is that too much to ask? If it is not, we demand an explanation from the Government of India for blundering so far. LCQla Chitnis is going to dance her way into your hearts in "Kanchan", a social picture. 4