FilmIndia (1948)

II: n a This section is the monopoly of ''JUDAS'1 and he writes what he likes and about things which he likes. The views expressed here are not necessarily ours, but still they carry weight because they are written by a man who knows his job. AN HE SPELL "CULTURE"? Sardar Chandulal Shah of Ranjit Movietone Horse brand) has left for a holiday junket to Geeva — as a member of the official Indian delegation ) the International Conference on Freedom of Intimation!— accompanied by his partner. Miss Ooar, in the capacity of secretary. The Government " India will foot the bill. In Geneva, the Horec-birnd silver-haired proLicer of "Toofan Mail" and "Bhola Shikar" will sit ith the leading intcl'ectuals. philosophers, scholars, litors, artists and educational film experts. We lave it to the imagination of our readers to decide |hat kind of figure Chandulal will cut in that (lg'ist assembly. In a sort of apologetic press note issued to inoduce the delegation to the public, Chandulal ah is introduced as "an expert on information ms." Ha! Ha!! Ha!!! What a joke! We know Sardar Chandulal Shah — the Sardar the Indian film industry— as producer of about 0 such masterpieces as "Toofan Mail". "Gun Sunri'. 'Miss 1933'. 'Toofani Taruni'. 'Char Chakram' lola Shikar". 'Do Badmash'. 'Toofani Toli'. 'Bazi'Dhandora', 'Sitamgar', 'Ban Ki Chidiya' and eturn of Toofan Mail'. We know Chandula.l Shah, the race horse-owner, nter and bookie, as a familiar figure on the race urse. We know Seth Chandulal Shah as a bazar erator with a perthi of his own in Kalbadevi. )m where he and his brother play high stakes in tton. bullion, stocks and shares. But Chandu'al Shah, as a.n expert on "Infor ition films"? Chandu'al as a delegate to an Inter tional Conference? Chandulal as an emissary of lture? Chandulal to speak on behalf of India on 3 subject of Freedom of Information? Oh. yea. >ds of New Delhi! Have mercy on our souls. Any number of names, infinitely more suitable an Chandu'al Shah, cou'd be suggested if Sardar llabhbhai Patel was anxious to have some one to ?ak on information r.nd educational films and on cultural aspect of films. Names like Harin Chat ladhyaya.. I'day Shankar. Nitin Bosc. Krishna >pal. Prithviraj Kapoor, Shantaram, Chetan and! Why HAD it to be Chandu!a.l. of all peo•> Will someone in the Government of India ex.>in? IE THE CENSORS SLEEPING? Our film censors have become very sensitive JUt "immoral" scenes. Even in foreign pictures the lips cannot be shown touching the wine glass — in drinking scenes. A few feet are cut to "honour" the Government's prohibition policy, notwithstanding the jerk ca.used in the continuity! The censors are just as lynx-eyed about the merest physical expression of love, that eternal human instinct which has defied the censors of the world for many, many thousand years. The brutality and beastliness of some exploiters cannot be vividly shown on the screen. The censor is there to guard the political and economic status quo. to ban any revolutionary content in any film. But it seems the honour of India and Indians, the prestige of the Oriental peoples, mean nothing to these censors. Every now and then foreign films are allowed to be freely shown in this country which libel the Arabs or slander the Negroes or make remarks about "Oriental" cruelty or "Eastern" barbarism. Even films with scenes and dialogue casting aspersions on the honour of India and Indians are pa-scd. Like the devotional Hindu woman, Gita makes her bow with folded hands in T. K. Screen Classics' maiden picture "Batohi"