FilmIndia (Jan-Nov 1942)

This section is the monopoly of "JUDAS" and he writes what he likes and about things which he likes. The views expressed here are not necessarily ours, but still they carry weight because they are written by a man who knows his job. HAS SHANTARAM FAILED? We understand that the Film Advisory Board has stopped the circulation of the short film "Women of India", the story of which was written by Miss Pramilla Rama Rau. Mr. Shantaram will be making seme additions and subtractions to remove the scandalous content of this film as was pointed out by us in the February issue of "filmindia-'. We are grateful to the members of the Board for their quick action and we hope that "Women of India", when it comes to the screen for the second time, after the famous Shantaram "touch", will be complimentary to the womanhood of India. That reminds us of the fact that it is now two months that Mr. V. Shantaram has taken charge as the Chief Producer to the Film Advisory Board. But till the time of writing, nothing new has been produced by Mr. Shantaram nor has anything sensational happened by way of reorganising the activities of the Board. All we know is that the tax-payers have lost Rs. 5000/ on Shantaram alone during these two months. Once again we repeat that the Film Advisory Board is essentially a war-time Institution and its primary duty is to produce war shorts for immediate propaganda. We are afraid, this is not being done by the Beard. The Board has so far wasted a lot of public funds and with the traditional short-sightedness usually obtained in Government departments, it has produced some useless shorts which have neither contributed to our war effort nor paid their way even as documentaries. We hepe the members of the Board read the newspapers and keep pace with the progress of the war. Do these guys know that war is now raging on the ver> frontiers of India? If they realize the emergency, what the hell are they doing about it? When are we going to get the war-shorts which would help tc rally the nation in this hour of need" We sent back Alexander Shaw because he was r.n good and too slow. We took up Mr. V. Shantaram naming him the best man in the country for the job. And still we are where we were. But during the time war has travelled from Europe to India and Shantaram la travelling between Delhi and Bombay. Churchill tells us that we are fighting a total war and we have to put in a total effort. The civilian is paying the price from day to day in numerous small and big inconveniences while the official, new and old, is gaading about flushed with his authority doing nothing practical and useful. Has Shantaram also become just another official? If not then what has he done during the last two mcnths? What value in work has he given to the taxpayer for the five thousand and odd rupees paid to him? We didn't mind Shantaram wasting his time as a partner of Prabhat. Then, time belonged to him and he could waste it in his own sweet way. But now we care, because he is wasting time for which the taxpayers are paying. If Shantaram can't keep pace with the speed of the war times, if Shantaram can't meet the urgency of the situation, if Shantaram can't contribute to our war Zahur Raja, handsome young man of the screen, has now become a director. For Eastern Pictures, he is producing "Badal" an emotional story which is unusual in conception. 11