FilmIndia (1948)

[arch, 1948 FILMINDIA Relieving: Features The whole show, however, was not without some Irelieving features. Two of the several speakers, liGovind Ram Shetty and Prem Dhavan. literally .■moved the audience, the first with his fine speech Ifull of emotion and delivered in chaste Urdu with flail the requisite dignity of a seasoned, well-versed llspeaker who knows his job, while the other paid a ■touching poetic tribute to Gandhiji in a short and Isweet poem specially written by him for the sad ■Occasion which is worthy of being treasured a a M?lassical piece of poetry in national literature. The meeting passed the following resolution: — "This general meeting of the members of the ■ndian film industry held under the auspices of the ^lotion Picture Society of India. Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association. Indian Motion Picture ■Distributor.-' A-sociation. Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association of India, Film Artistes' Association of ■ndia. Association of Cine Technicians of India and ■he Cinematographic Importers' Association, places in record it most profound sorrow at the foul assasination of Mahatma Gandhi, the revered Father of he Nation, the apostle of peace, truth and noniolence and the greatest humanitarian of the age. "This meeting strongly condemns the brutal Qurder which has shocked the entire civilized world ind deeply mourns the irreparable loss sustained by he nation in the death of Mahatma Gandhi and onveys its respectful condolences and sympathies to he members of his family, to Pandit Jawaharlal fehru, Prime Minister of India, and through him. o the millions of our countrymen who mourn Malatmaji's death. "This meeting pays its humble homage to the ;reat leader who lived for others and sacrificed his ife for the noble cause of peace and harmony among nankind and prays to God that we may be given In Navayug Chitra-s "Phool aur Kante", we wonder which of these two — Lalita Pawar and Saroj Borkar — provides the one or the other. strength and confidence to follow the light of his teachings.'' WILL GOVERNMENT EXPLAIN? Press Release number 64 issued by the United Nations New Delhi Information Centre informs us that "Production has now been started, in a village in the Satara district of Bombay Presidency, of the three educational films for training Indian social welfare workers, which are being financed by the United Nations". These films, we learn further, arc being produced at the request of the Indian Government, through the Indian Delegation to the United Nations, as a part of the organisation's advisory social welfare programme which provides for assistance in this line to member countries at their request. The subjects of these three films are: 1) Maternity welfare, 2) Infant care, and 3) Environmental welfare. In other words the subjects touch the very core of Indian rural life, and the films are to be addressed to the millions of illiterate mothers and teachers in the villages, who are conversant only with any of the provincial languages. A completely INDIAN approach and an understanding of Indian psychology are, therefore, necessary for any one who undertakes the production of these films. And who do you think has actually been entrusted with this task? Hold your breath. The United Nations, of course, has sent an AMERICAN, Miss Marion Dix. "who has been engaged in film production work for twenty years, in the USA, England and France" to "supervise the project and supply the specialist's knowledge." And whom has the specialist Miss Dix chosen to produce these films on an intimate and delicate as II