FilmIndia (1945)

FILM INDIA December, 1945 "What is the 'Gala' and whit is the "Musical Social Hit" in this, I am utterly at a loss to conjecture. Is there one gala scene, or one musical son**, or one attractive face in this whole "Andhera" film? Prom start to finish, true to its name "Andhera", the picture presents only doleful scenes, monotonous lamentations and lugubrious faces, all tendine only to bore and depress the spectators instead of entertaining; them. And the exhibitors shamelessly advertise this rot as "The Gala of Musical Social Hit." "Will the theatre-wallas ever real'ze their responsibility and stop this dirty trick of duping the people by such exaggerated advertisements?" MELVISHARAM. H. A. Rahman. AT WRONG ALTAR "In Lahore the distributors and the exhibitors have adopted a very unfair policy. Big flops like "Shirin Farhad" and "Us Par" are released at first-rate cinemas and made to run for weeks together, while some of the good pictures are shown at second-rate cinemas, where the ruined classes seldom go. a few days ago the long-awaited classic "Draupadi" met with this fate. It was released in an obscure theatre of the city. "A large section of the public who had the good luck to see your picture are full of praises for it. But what about the unlucky majority who missed it? Pray, come to our aid and persuade the distributors to re-release "Draupadi' in a firstrate cinema". LAHORE. Sant Dass. INDEED, WHY? "Had you any occasion to visit the tea-stalls at , the local cinemahouses, particularly those meant for the lower class people? Do try them next time. The most rotten tea is served here and the other stuff is just dirty. And above all the still-keepers are rude and insulting. When this is brought to the notice of managers Of the cinemas, they are equally rude and always remark: "Have it if you want." Are not these stalls under the supervision of theatre-authorities? Is it not the duty of the Health D-partment of the Bombay Municinality to look in at these stalls? These fellows are just lootins; the public with rotten stuff and through the patronage of the cinema-authorities Why?" BOMBAY. R. B. Kamat. DANGEROUS CONDITIONS "I am in an awful dilemma Mr. Editor! After reading your reviews, somehow I do not like to see those pictures and waste my money. As we get only nth. rate of flops, I cannot see even a single picture m a month. If I go to a picture inspite of your condemning it, even if it is tolerable it becomes boring, perhaps because of the prejudiced mind. I cannot stop reading your magazine, nor can I keep myself away from the pictures. Now tell me, what should I do?" MYSORE. M. D. Putraj. ARTFUL ART? •Shantaram is reported to have said at a dinner party given in h'.s honour, that in a poor country 'Art "Gvalan." produced and directed by Mr. Baburao Patel is a village romance round the life of a milkmaid. a For Art's sake' is a costly luxury Obv.'ously he meant to say that he believes and practises in 'Art for PeopVs Sake', hence according to him "Shakuntala" was an example of the same. "A handful of journalists may discover that his "Shakuntala" was a progressive picture but in the opin-on of most of the wise and learned critic, it was iust a coldblooded murder of Indian cu'ture rnd Kal:das. If he has really some feel na in his heart for his poor country, in right earn'st he should stop giving 'Art-fnr-Peonle's-Sak°-r ctnres like "Shakuntala" and 'P. P. A. Dera". I feel that I am vcicin« the sentiments of other readers. Let us hope that he w ll resume giving picture like "Admi" "Pados ". "Amar jyoti" etc whatever you mav call them— 'Art for Art or Peoole's Sake'. Even now it is not late. Hurry up! Mr. V Shantaram." BOMBAY. Basant Ram. EXPECTING TOO MUCH "Recently I had the occasion to visit the Majestic Cinema, Delhi to witness 'Humayun'. Messrs General Talkies Distributors Ltd under whose management theHouse runs advertised that plans were open for advance booking At the Booking Office i asked for two tickets in the highest class. I was giV'en a p^inf-ed receipt mentioning therein 'Received Rs. 6il2|-for two seats in Balcony'. No seat numbers. I enquired from the manager why no seat numbers were given crt the receipt and was told that this is the way they book seats in advance. "On reaching the picture house in time, I was told that there v/ere no two seats vacant together, but separately. Should I and my wife sit seoaratelv? What is the use of this kind of Advance Booking when wife and husband are to sit separately? Can Ms. General Talkies Distributors Ltd. explain through the medium cf your paper?' NEW DELHI. Janki N. Sharma. AN OASIS •Fortunately or unfortunately, this so called district headquarter is proud of possessing only one theatre, a damned theatre, equipped with a single projector and furniture of Rip Van Winkle's time and exhibiting pictures of half a decade old. What an ideal theatre in the year 1945! Is it net high time for the State to do something? ANANTAPUR. ; K. V. Ratnam. REALLY? "I am constrained to observe that you, of all the people, after presenting us with such a polished