FilmIndia (1948)

PILMINDI A April, 194 For more than twenty years, "D.C." struggled ceaselessly night and day turning his searchlight from one leading luminary to another, from Uday Shankar to Sadhona Bose, fom Shantaram to Sohrab Modi, from Chandulal to Chimanlal, and offering his services for any good cause of the industry and its representatives who looked to "D.C." everytime they wanted laurels and publicity. It is four months now that "D.C." passed away and nobody seems to bother about what the film industry has done or is going to do for him to repay its debt, morally and materially. If Phalke and Saigal could be forgotten so easily and so ruthlessly, who was "D.C." after all to be an exception to the rule? Our film folks are known for their proverbially short memory but the way they forget their dead ones has a touch of callousness and insincerity which defies description. History has repeated itself again in the case of D.C. Shah 'but the process reveals greater irony and a more eloquent reflection on the general mentality obtaining in the filmdom than was evinced ever before. On the very day "D.C." died, some of his confreres and "brothers" in profession who had thrived on the favours done by the old man, were busy (vulture-like) approaching the parties and papers with whom he was connected in order to bag his assets and capture his field. No wonder most of them were unable even to offer their last respects to their dead comrade not to think of arranging a condolence meeting or some such thing. When such was the conduct of his fellow-scribes, maybe there is no justification in expecting any better from others in the film industry at large. All of them were too "shocked" by the tragedy to think of doing anything about it. And thus died a film critic dedicating his life in his own indefatigable manner for the betterment of our films, leaving behind a legacy so rich and yet so ill-honoured and a "fortune" that is yielding more dividends to others than to his own kith and kin who have lost their only bread-earner. "D.C", they say, was a one-man-institution whose intellectual resourcefulness, inherent goodness and sincerity of purpose were not a little responsible for building up the prestige and prosperity of many a big gun in our filmdom today, individuals as well as institutions. And yet not one of these individuals or institutions has waken up or come forward to the rescue of his family which is virtually left unprovided for. In many cases even his outstanding bills have not been paid. Not one of them lias come forward to raise a fitting memorial to commemorate his services to the industry that are so widely and indisputably acknowledged from all sides and sections. What a sad commentary the story of "D.C."'s death makes on the woeful sense of gratitude of our movie moguls! And what a crushing testimony it 14 MAYA ART PICTURES PRESENTS :s == ESS IB = ss es s= a:: ss s s = _1 = = = = = = = = :: msnn Hum CoStarring: DEVANAND * PAL * G. DAS * JERM AN| Directed By: PHANI MAZUMDAR Produced By • GHANSHAMDAS ★ ★ * Distributors for Bombay, CP. & C.I. SURYA FILM DISTRIBUTORS 76, MEDOWS STREET, BOMBAY I. Delhi, U.P. & E. Punjab : GUPTA PICTURES CHANDNI CHOWK, DELHI. * ★ ★ For Other Territories A;>f>/v :• MAYA ART PICTURES 5, SHALIMAR, MARINE DRIVE, BOMBAY.