FilmIndia (Jan-Nov 1942)

June, 1942 FILM INDIA what not vanish when they go into print. They haunt you with vengeance especially in jail. Therefore a magazine like •'filmindia'' one must carry straight to one's cell. But the danger of losing it is not over if one carelessly exposes it in one's cell. Taking away a magazine or a book without the owner's permit is no theft in jail. Like water a magazine is meant for all. Therefore it was necessary to conceal "filmindia" under a pillow or a bed and to open it when no one was within a hundred yards — you know that smell. The safest time was naturally after the lock-up, that is after 8 p.m. for the detenues. If an illustrated magazine like "filmindia" is discover, ed under your bed, you start a scandal and risk your character, but don't imagine for a moment that under the same circumstances the other person would behave differently if he possessed "filmindia." THE EDITOR'S MAIL "filmindia" was glanced at by all and read by many. In jail nothing is read uncritically and therefore frank discussions and criticism became an essential part of jail life. The recent attack on Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was condemned by all. This film mag therefore was discussed by different people from different angles. Everyone was impressed by its swanky get-up and readable matter. Its "Editor's Mail" was read by all for its sparkling humour; some stupid questions in it and the editor's replies in such cases led certain readers to believe that the editor's notice of them encouraged further stupidity. Scandals are always popular as the war news is and therefore "Editor's Mail" which was nicknamed as the scandal corner of the magazine attracted everyone's attention. The young lawyers scratched their heads and wondered whether the editor did not risk a libel in even, line. Film enthusiasts enjoyed the digs at inactive producers. Anyway the "Mail" was read for pleasure and sometimes repeated over a cup of tea. The editor's unique and refreshing style of writing is a treat in itself and repeating the juicy replies made up for the items lacking in our breakfast menu. Editorials in "filmindia" were read for frank exposures and information of current film-industry which one does not find anywhere else. They were written with a purpose and force and one could clearly see in them the ever watchfulness of a fearless editor. The controversy over the work of the Film Advisory Board interested me most because of Mr. Shaw, who was once a member of the G.F.O. unit which had done excellent work In documentary films in England, and who was declared a failure by "filmindia." Though I didn't believe "filmindia" then, later when I saw Mr. Shaw's work, I thought "filmindia's" attitude to be correct. It is still a mystery to me why Shaw should have failed. We were very eager to see technical articles, which would throw more light on the subject of the editorials. We attributed this defect to the lack of writers. Some of us keenly desired to fill in the gap by contributing articles which would further support the editorials which had already prepared the ground to attract readers to important subjects such as the documentary films. But we were not in a position to do so as it required special permission from the Government to continue journalistic activity for which some of us were detained without trial. The editorials were nicknamed "I accuse." The editorials were read by those who were specially interested in films and had to do with it one way or the other. To such readers it gave a mine of information. It was always a sort of "close-up" of our film industry. Whmt is Prithviraj worried about with a beautiful girl like Neena loving him in "Ek-Raat", a Shalimar picture? 29