FilmIndia (1948)

February, 1948 FlLMINDI A Shalini has an important role in Navayug Chitra's forthcoming release 'Phool aur Kante' whispered modestly about the release of this picture at the Krishna Cinema, the streets were full of posters and screens screaming the run of "Doli'', a picture that had just gone out of the theatre to make room for "Gvalan". The new picture, therefore, never got the benefit of any street or outdoor publicity, Lvhich all along screamed about "Doli", and it was [pot surprising that "Gvalan" had to suffer at the pox-offices. For, after all said and done our pictures (are seen by the uneducated masses who have to be [fold of a new release by big screens, street corner posters, sandwich boys and push carts, apart from idvance trailers, slides and other tom-toms. The fate and treatment of "Gvalan" can probably be attributed to personal reasons, but many (pictures every year suffer in a similar manner and [litter away their chances of becoming box-office hits Kue to sheer carelessness and lack of initiative and >| nterprise. J In these days when every anna in the box-offices Hontributes to the future stability of our film indusflry, film producers would do well to give good advance publicity to their pictures prior to release a'hey have to reach over 32 lakhs of people in this Ireat city of ours and it is not an easy job to do so ■3 the midst of touring politicians, strikes, Socialists, -ommunists and lawful lathi charges. CRIMINAL SHOWMANSHIP It seems that the war has left behind immorality and corruption in almost every walk of life the way we find almost every wage earner fishing for more money in addition to his legitimate wage. You cannot see any officer of the Government these days unless the peon outside his room is given a rupee note along with the visiting card. If you forget the rupee note, the man goes round the building with the visiting card for an hour or more telling you at intervals that the "Saab is busy with someone else". If in an extravagant mood the stakes are increased to a note of two rupees, the officer is made available within a few minutes. We wonder whether the peon would actually throw the officer into our lap if we give the man a ten-rupee note with the visiting card. It is an experiment worth trying. But we do not grudge these poor, low-paid peons their rupee tips seeing that the subjects of the Nizam of Hyderabad have to pay three gold coins to see the Nizam's face in which there is nothing to see but greed, cunning and tyranny. With corruption prevalent everywhere, it is too much to expect film folks to lag behind in this game. Usually they are in the forefront of such enterprises. Of all the different professional communities in the film industry, the exhibitors have had the biggest harvest of illegitimate profits due to war-time inflation and shortage of theatres. They fleeced both the producers and the public and slowed away millions in spite of Excess Profits Tax and the "vigilance" of the Income Tax authorities. We now reveal the various ways in which the exhibitors and their minions make money from day to day. Owing to a shortage of theatres producers are compelled to pay Rs. 4,000 per week as blackmarket bonus in cash to the theatre man (usually Rs. 24.000 in advance for a six weeks' run) in addition to another above-the-table guarantee of Rs. 4,000 per week. Which all means that a picture must collect at least Rs. 8,000 net per week after deducting the Entertainment Tax for the producer to get back his primary investment. Having got his Rs. 24,000 black money for six weeks' run, the exhibitor begins to pray that the picture should flop completely during the Very first week so that he can swallow the black bonus without having to show the picture for six weeks as agreed upon. He knows that no producer will run a picture unnecessarily by paying out of pocket, except of course V. Shantaram who is always anxious to get more weeks to his name than money into his hank. But the exhibitor doesn't stop at praying. His minions get going with their nefarious activities no sooner the black bonus is paid. 15