Filmindia (1941)

December, 1941 FIL MINDIA thought and introspection. Ranjit'.> "Achhut", Mehboob's "Woman" Altekar's "Geeta", Modi's "Sikandar" are conspicuous points in illustration. I STAND DISILLUSIONED But the fact remains that even to-day I stand somewhat disillusioned in my ideals. I do not know if it is because I cannot remain twentyfive all the time! Although, therefore, the standard of pictures in this country is fast rising, although a taste for cultural themes is being steadily created in the public, although the educated element is pouring into the studios as artistes and technicians, although the sleeping apartments of the producers are done away with from most of the studio premises, although Baburao Patel and his inimitable "filmindia" are constantly throwing light and exposing the shady spots, I really wonder if the day will ever dawn when we could regard a studio with the same reverence as we regard a temple of god. It is a cruel thing to be born an idealist. I do sometimes think that the studio atmosphere was natural in the olden days when street girls and boys reigned supreme. At least, in those conditions nothing better was to be expected. But the coming of the cultured and educated people into the films — ^has it helped much to improve the state of affairs? Of course, the general standard of art and technique has distinctly risen; but on grounds of morality and decency there has not been much shifting and we continue to stand, more or less, on the same none too high level — or probably lower still. I will explain what I mean. With education and polish has also come the sophistry, the more subtle forms of jealousy amongst artistes and artistes, and producers and producers. In days gone by they used to get 'drinks' right into the studios. Now they don't get them there; but they know where to get them. The item of bed is cut out from stud'o retjuisities, but it is not altogether absent from the industry. Only, it is transferred to a more cosy and fashionable room in some flourishing hotel skirting a sea shore. THE HEALING TOUCH— NOT THE SURGEON'S KNIFE It would be unjust on my part to hold the studios up to ridicule. My comrades in the industry may not forgive me for doing so. Nor must I be understood to be at that idle business. I, who have been, by turns, an artist, a producer and a director for a length of time, am now, I believe, in a position to say where exactly in the industry the sore lies. Tagore says in one of his beautiful poems: "he alone has the right to chastise who loves." I love the calling which gives me my daily bread; and if I place my finger at a sore point it is because I love the sufferer and want that wound healed. When, however, I say that the studios are not enough clean, I only mean that they are as clean as any other place of public resort, where men and women, boys and girls chance to meet — schools, colleges, hospitals, offices and hotels. Our studios are perhaps no more clean but certainly they are not worse. In Here is a brilliant partner of Brilliant Pictures, Mr. H. R. Kenjale, now a member of the King's Commission train'ng to be a soldier at Mhow — once the President of the Poona Municipality (1934-35) at the tender age of 20. fact, we can regard none of these places of public resort with the same reverence as we do a temple of god. PHYSICIAN, HEAL 'TOYSELF So it boils down to this, that, before we can expect our studios to show betier morals, there should be a general improvement in the moral tone of the society. When a college professor, a doctor, or an I.C.S. our law-givers, the keepers of public peace and conscience are allowed to visit (and even esteemed for visiting) the C.C.I, and the Taj lo drink and dance there unto the small hours of the night, to go to the race course and gamble hysterically lo their utter ruination, why should the same society turn up their nose and feel critical over their entertainers following suit and in imitating their brothers in other walks of life? But I am not here to quarrel oi to find fault. I am just retrospecting and trying to tell in my own way what I see around me. We have reason to be glad that the morality of our studios compares very favourably with that obtaining in foreign ones. I no longer sink into a depressing mood when I see a veteran producer carrying his soul in his shoe, or a favourite hero drowning himself in a bottle of "Black and White" or a budding star actress mortgaging her principles— her cherished possession — just to be able to come up and retain herself in the field a little longer. I see all this and laugh. I have learnt to laugh. The laughter is really the most delicious when one laughs at oneself and makes the world laugh 'vith one. This is why I am now appear ng in the Great India Pictures' hilarious comedy entitled "Kunwara Baap" (Bachelor Father) as the most ridiculous and absurd of heroes. My endeavours will be to refiect the shortcomings of the society in the character I am playing and to make people swallow with a smile (the correct way of making them swallow) all that is said in the picture. 4Q