FilmIndia (1945)

January, 1945. F I L M I N D I A excess without any extra payment. During these extra hours of work, which consisted of several night shifts, often in continuation of the day shifts, these technicians had to find their own meals and refreshments without being compensated by the producers. This is rather rough on the men who directly contribute to the technical standard of our pictures. As it is, in comparison with the other workers, the technical workers are paid much less and very poorly considering the importance of their services in motion picture making. To rob such hard-working people of recompense for their extra hours of work gives our production industry the complexion of heartless capitalism. I wonder what the Association of Technicians, which made some noise once, is doing these days. Didn't we, in those days, hear of Mr. B. M. Tata, Mr. Krishna Gopal and many others who talked about looking after the general interests of the technicians? Where are these fellows now? STRAIGHT FROM THE FIELD! In a frantic letter to the Editor, Capt. S. D. Kapoor (from "somewhere" in India) has something important to tell our producers. I reproduce below some relevant portions from Capt. Kapoor's long letter: "Cut off as we are from our beloved country and its manifold pleasures we think that a cinema film shown here undergoes a very minute scrutiny at our hands, which entitles us to make a very bold remark that all the cinema films, at least 99 per cent, of them, shown here are just terrible." " I personally always thought that a cinema film is meant to give a few happy hours with the underlying idea of building up a down-trodden morale. Well, quite frankly it does nothing of the sort. On the contrary these films are so demoralizing that one takes refuge in abusing and critic! //ng the producers to the best of one's ability. "The Indian films, speciallv sent overseas, are a great libel on Indian culture and civilization, about which we all should be proud. I wish the film associations, producers and soc'et'es in India realise that they are depicting a very unreal India in foreign countries and earning a bad name. I have seen even an ordinary soldier look aghast at these unimaginable efforts. "It may perhaos be argued that the financial aspect is being overlooked when I demand screening of good pictures overseas. Well, probably the profits of thousands may be reduced to hundreds, but then what use is the money which invites curses and ridicule from all quarters? " I, therefore, as an Indian request my countrymen concerned with this particular industry to forego some profits for the good name of our country and send our troops overseas some really good pictures. I earnestly hope my entreaty would not fall on deaf ears." Here is an appeal of a fighting Indian who has to blush in the presence of foreigners when our Indian pictures are shown to the troops. Haven't we any pictures that will save our soldiers some blushes ? YOU'LL HARDLY BELIEVE— That Producer Shantaram has at last decided not to play the lead in " Dr. Kotnis ", as he cannot find any one to playback the sones which the hero sings whilst operating on the poor Chinese. That apart from songs, Shantaram's main obstacle was the dialogue for which playing back was even more diffi cult than the songs, as otherwise Shantaram's Kolhapuri Hindustani would not be accepted. That as Shantaram is not playing the hero, K. Ahmed Abbas has also changed his mind about playing the Chinese sister of mercy and now glass-eyed Zabak has refused to play the coy Chinese barmaid. That with this star-cast withdrawing, "Dr. Kotnis" will now become the usual propaganda story with Musicdirector Vasant Desai playing the singing hero. That Shantaram has intentions of vindicating his position as a great producer by taking up " Omar Khayyam " now and he will ask K. Ahmed Abbas to rewrite Baburao Patel's story of "Omar Khayyam" once written for the Prabhat Film Company. That hearing of Shantaram's plans, Baburao Pai may now arrange publication of the story of " Omar Khayyam " in " filmindia " to prove to the world from where Shantaram's inspiration usually comes. That K. Ahmed Abbas will add Publicity-pup Sathe's name as a joint-author of " Omar Khayyam " as a camouflage to guard against copyright law — in case the Prabhat people wish to be nasty. That "gentle" Jamsu Wadia, Member of the British Empire, has named his new picture " Piya Milan " to commemorate his one-time union with distributor M. B. Billimoria. That in " Piya Milan " ' gentle ' Jamsu will sing all the songs himself as he has not forgotten his recent sad experience with Master Vasant Amrit. And one of the songs will be " Mara Passe Passe Awe Maro Dil Lalchawe Pehlo Garji." That Film-actress Mehtab threatens to become a oroducer-director and will, of course, shoot her stuff in the Central Studios on their license and with their very own boss as the hero. Which means that Mehtab will have to act the heroine herself. Just will have to. That Director Kedar Sharma is facing a weighty problem with his new wife Kamla (Chatterjee) and proposes to appeal to the rationing authorities for specific rel'ef. That nowadays India's graceful dancer, Sadhona Bose, stays at Green's Hotel in Bombay. And it looks as if the Y.M.C.A. has shifted its headquarters to the Green's. That Director Chaturbhui Doshi is leading a life of resignation the^e davs, as we don't see him even in restaurants as of old. Chandulal Shah feels optimistic that Chaturbhui may extend this philosophy of resignation to his job with Ranjit. That Madhok. the dialogue-lvric-crossword pu77le, is very quiet these days and with his silence is trying to acquire people's sympathy for "Rattan," his latest jewel in production. That the Government must import new spare parts for motor cars in these days of war shortage, because cars suddenly stop at all sorts of places without a warning;. Otherwise, how can one exnlain eood-natured Sohrab Modi's car so often failing on Walkeshwar Road, opposite Sital Sagar and the engine looking up towards the "most fascinating eyes " of the screen ? That Film-actor Motilal sulks more on the ra^e-^oursc these days than in the films. The net effect is ea'iall" disastrous. We hone, he won't burst into a song at the Ra^es, otherwise Chandramohan's horse " A la Grande " might join in. 7