FilmIndia (1945)

April, 1945. FILMINDIA The second book of Mr. Hirlekar, "Soviet Asia", is, however, not planned on the lines of the first. Though there is a confusion of thoughts and some clumsy expression at places, the new book helps to bring home the objective fact that what could be possible in Soviet Russia inspite of its numerous languages and peoples, could also be done in India. The book gives the political, the economical and the social history of Soviet Asia in short and there is not the least doubt that months of labour has gone into preparing the book with its 15 attractive maps and 6 useful illustrations. To those people who claim to be the architects of our future, Mr. Hirlekar's "Soviet Asia", is by all means an important book, but to the lay reader it sounds like just so much of drum-beating and Red-Flag waving. It is a pity that a burning, restless patriot like Hirlekar, at the age of 51, should be wasting his precious few years beating the drum of Soviet Russia without even a free glass of vodka. Hasn't Mr. Hirlekar got enough to write and tell about his own unfortunate country which is struggling helplessly in the shackles of British Imperialism? If this book had been written as a plan for future India, quoting Russian parallels where necessary, I would have hawked it in the streets of Bombay. Considering the times our country is passing through, it is most necessary for modern writers to remember that what is written about is more important than how it is written. Though I do not condemn Mr. Hirlekar's efforts, I still do not congratulate him on his two books, whatever the rest of the press may have said in courtesy, because Soviet Russia is not my motherland. THE INHUMAN TONGUE! For good or for bad gossip plays a vital part in human life. The human tongue habituated to tasty things in eating likes juicy material for gossip. When one's neighbour is the poor victim of gossip the human tongue, forgetting the restrictions of the teeth and the lips which nature has provided, jumps out to lash the victim mercilessly. "Consider the plight of the Hollywood war wife", says Film-actress Binnie Barnes. Her husband, Major Mike Frankovish, was last reported in India. "I can't even talk to anyone my husband doesn t know," she said, "else people will start talking. And, of course, I can't go out with any one except people like my agent, and not too often with him." "Sometimes I go out with my doctor. But he is an obstetrician as well as a surgeon and people start saying, 'Yep, she's pregnant again'." Once in a while she will go to a movie with another war wife like Maureen O'Hara. "I like tennis but I can't play it with younger people because of the gossip — and the older people can't play it without folding up". So Binnie sits home and sews clothes for her three children and writes a letter to Mike every day. If some of our film actresses had been half as sensitive ol gossip as Binnie Barnes, they would have become better women. YOU'LL HARDLY BELIEVE, That what a meat porter in London refused a film producer in India accepted — the Membership of the British Empire. Perhaps it helps "gentle" Jamsu Wadia to enter tain M. N. Roy, the radical what-not of India. That "gentle" Jamsu has returned intact from Delhi where he was specially sent to represent Shantaram in Rajkamal colours. Jamsu, of course, returned without completing the "radium" jubilee and labelled "Freight to pay" That Kishore Sahu's "Raja" is likely to cross the Atlantic taking in the tins, Protima brand Vitamin "B" and Kishore's "Vanaspati ". That "Raja" is likely to score over "Rajnartaki" who could not get going so far, probably waiting for "Raja" to come. The Yankees will now have both the "King" and his "Court Dancer". What they need to provide is only a jazz band. That by the time the "Court Dancer" sinks on the floor tired and doubled up, Shantaram's "Dr. Kotnis" will rush with first-aid and the Yankees will see for the firsi time an Indian Doctor with negroid curls. That Yankees who are thinking of giving Indians citizenship rights by passing the Immigration Bill will get a shock of their life when they see India's film product after 30 years of infancy. That the Pandits and the Munshis of Indian filmdom are upset over the decision of the All-India Radio to adopt Hindustani as the official language. That Pandit Indra proposes to rattle the dead bones of Munshi Premchand to frighten Sir Sultan Ahmed into restoring the old order. As a loyal Marwari he takes only Hindi for all the meals and cannot risk the Urdu poison. That Walli, that Punjab-Mumtaz — H. M. V. mix-up, is now learning Hindi from Pandit Indra so that Walli can say things about Kedar Sharma which the Urdu Kedar won't understand. That in Urdu you don't have to abuse anyone. When Walli and Kedar meet they pay each other great compliments and understand perfectly what exactly is said of each other. A marvellous language this L'rdu. Chan Deobala seems to be giving a rough time to Jamuna in "Taqrar", I f