FilmIndia (1948)

CILMINDI A November, 1948 he Soviet Union" have printed their "friendly" analysis f "The Iron Curtain" and end by accusing the American roducers of stealing Russian music. (That's why there 5 no music left in Russia these days; the Americans stole :. The damn robbers!) Finding all the filmgoers, without even a single exj eption, quietly getting inside the theatre with the handnil either in hand or thrown away before their very noses (nd the police "bandobust" quite enough to scotch any hischief or trouble that may arise, these over-enthusiasic demonstrators made a pathetic spectacle of themselres with their faces red with rage and virtually cursing he spectators for turning a deaf ear to their frantic ap»eals. There was a marked fall in their number on the (ollowing days until they were conspicuous by their bsence on the last day! It is difficult to imagine a more criminal waste of ■juvenile energy and intellect being all so misdirected in I country where the youth is supposed to be the pillar of he nation and in the forefront of all constructive, nation huilding activity. Evidently, these fellows who so elaborately seek to [ell us of the achievements and progress of Russian fouth (their triumphs and festivals), never pause to find \ut what a glaring contrast they themselves make to [heir heroes. If a picture is really anti-Soviet or anti-any other pountry and as such objectionable to be exhibited on the creen, it is the business of the embassy or the represenatives of that country to acquaint the authorities con:erned with the actual facts of the case and leave the natter to their sole discretion. The "Iron Curtain" has, in a way. demonstrated to he "Friends of the Soviet I nion" in this country the ibsolute futility of some of their misguided actions and t will be in their own interests to pay heed to this timely esson. India is far far from being a Bolshevist country yet. rOU'LL II UtlM.Y BELIEVE — That M & T. (Makhkhan & Toast) are still at their )M >tor\ of "Delhi Darwaza" with Kamal Amrohi. H i/ at Lucknawi and others, this time in Makhkhan's Chandala bungalow. That M & T. (Makhkhan & Toast ) are going to give 1 picture dial will ""knock out Pandit Jawaharlal, smash Vallahhhhai. finish Morarji and send the other Congressnen running for VIM', shelters". And also give a big dividend according to Mr. Tewari. Is it going to be a new atom bomb or merely another "pani naryal"? That ex-|>resident Chhotu. Janak of "Janak'", has hese days come back to the starting point — publicity. Isn t it better to boost the producers than be one yourself? That elated by the success of "Jai Hanuman", Sardar Chandulal Shah has planned some more progressive pictures of other vertebrates and mammals in Hindu mythology like the fish, the tortoise, the rhinoceros and the lion. That Minister Morarji Desai. who once objected even to a single representative of the film industry on any official body, has now made ample amends by appointing two on the new Board of Film Censors. That Morarjibhai has shown some rare sense of humour by selecting Shantaram as perhaps the least educated person of all the other members of the Board, probably to get some primitive reaction. Why not appoint Chandulal's 'Jai Hanuman' also? It will be reaching the starting point of man s evolution. That the first picture, Censor Shantaram will examine will belong to Producer Chuni Lai I of "Filmislan" and the next one will be Baburao Pai"s. who has insulted all Maharashtrians by producing "Pyar-ki-Jeet". a box-office smasher. Both these fellows must be stopped from producing "Shaheeds", "Sindhoors" and "Jeets" and made to produce "progressive" stuff like "Andhonki-Duniya", "Banwasi ", "Bhool" etc. That Minister Morarji will have to translate the new Production Code in Kolhapuri Marathi for the benefit of his prize-boy. Morarjibhai's own Poona Marathi will, however, sound like old Sanskrit to Shantaram. He should engage V. Kashinath brother of V. Shantaram in turn brother of V. Avadoot, for this work. That Badami and Bhavnani, 1948 discoveries of the Covernment of India, now want to go on a world tour in know the latest about newsreels and documentaries. We suggest that their wives should also be given the trip. We can then employ the ladies in the distribution departments and establish an equality of sexes. That with the race horses now in Bombay, Sardar Chandulal Shah has wound up the Raw Film Distribution Committee and left the producers in a wilderness of their own. After all the quadrupeds always give a better run than the bipeds. That the Prime Minister s recent order prohibiting construction of new cinemas was welcomed by the present theatre racketeers who have now raised their weekly guarantees to ten thousand rupees and the per-centage of black money to 75. That the only motion picture. C.C.I, members know, is "my picture Shaheed" of Chuni Lall. It threatens to become the main item on the dry day menus, seeing that Hajaji saw a bit of the picture and asked for water. That Producer Sohrab Modi is furious with the white-capped Cujaratis after the fate of his "Prithvi Vallabh" in the Cujarati version. Somehow Sohrab's "samajivan ke" proved too much for the gentle Cujaratis. That V. Avadoot's ( brother of V. Kashinath in turn brother of V. Shantaram) first picture is named "Bhool". We appreciate the honesty of this gesture of V. Avadoot brother of V. Kashinath brother of V. Shantaram. That Dewan Sharar had to wait 52 years before V. Avadoot. brother of V. Kashinath in turn brother of V. Shantaram, discovered Dewan Sahebs talent for acting, which is now framed in V. Avadoot's "Bhool". It would have been more kind to poison Dewan Saheb s whisky than to have featured him in a "mistake". That the manager of the Minerva Talkies is reported to have developed a new technique of answering telephone calls, which begins with "Turn admi hai ke gadhha hai?". Evidently, he doesn't yet know the difference between the two? Poor gadhha! 17