FilmIndia (1946)

April, 1946 FILM INDIA E While the studios are made to pay on an average of Rs. 60 J per day for an exra girl who can swing her hips below an 1 ugly face, the girl actually receives Rs. 20 for her work, the balance being pocketted by the Extra Supplier. Little boys tor whom studios pay Rs. 4' a day, receive I on'.y 8 annas tor their day's labour, Rs. 3 8 per head going ■ into the pockets of the Supplier. Men, who can speak a I few dialogues and are charged to the producers between I Rs. 2o| and Rs. 30^ per day, actually receive between I Rs. 8 and Rs. io[ per day. All the extras working in the different studios know I this dirty game too we'l, but they dare not protest through I fear of the professional goondas who are paid to "protect"' I the interests of the Extra Suppliers. Recently some extras tried to form an association of ■ their own but in the absence of any support from the differ I ent studios and in the face of the threats from the Extra I Suppliers, the attempt was given up. But why didn't the studios support them seeing that I they could get the extras for less money by direct negotia I tion ? The reason is simp'e. Almost at every studio, the I production manager works in tow with the Extra Supplier I and takes the lion's share of the illegitimate profits. Unless this studio man gets his pound of flesh, there I <s no chance of the Extra Supplier getting enough business I during the month. It is difficult to believe but it is too I true that a single production manager gets as much as I Rs. 2000 every month as a fixed compensation from his I studio's Extra Supp'ier. The Extra Supplier has to spend I another thousand rupees every month to keep the lesser I ones pleased so that good fellowship prevails all around. I And after these severe cuts in his income, the Extra SupI plier sti'l makes enough money every month to feed halfa-dozen sweethearts, to waste a hundred bottles of Scotch every month and to main'ain a couple of cars for comfort. Now don't run away with the idea that the poor producer is robbed of a'l this huge money without his knowledge. The producer knows everything but has a racket of his own to run. He tolerates all this because every month he expects from the Extra Supplier a receipt of at least twenty and odd thousand rupees for supplying imaginary extras for film shooting and these receipts when they pile up at the end of the year as production expenses save to the producer two lakhs and odd as net profits without the necessity of paying any income-tax. So the Extra Supplier's racket pays every one from the producer to the Supplier for different individual reasons. The only losers are the poor extras who receive less and sign for three times more. Of course, it is not fashionable to sympathise with the income-tax department of an alien government and we won't do so. Now do you still wonder why our production costs are going up.5 And do you believe the producers when they shout about their huge losses in these productions and on the quiet buy buildings for their favourite stars? We'l, as everyone is enioying this well-managed racket, we shouldn't complain. \Ve would, however, like to record A p'ea on behalf of the poor extras who deserve a little more share of the profits of this racket. Aren't they the people who sweat for it? There is anoiher side to this affair — the tiresome side of business morality and integrity. But we dare not say anything about it in the fi'm industry. It is not done. FILTHY BUSINESS METHODS In their anxiety to sell their pictures, Indian producers and too often our exhibitors take obscene liberties with their publicity disp'ay. In almost all principal cities of India we see cinema halls exhibiting obscene and suggestive posters of stars to attract people to the box-offices. From Karachi comes a report that some exhibitors in this crowded port show the ingenuity of erecting wooden cut-outs of the nude figures of some foreign stars mounting the head of an Indian star in p'ace of the original. To say the least, this is the most filthy method ot selling motion pictures to our people. We back the protest recently made by the Bombay Vigilance Association to the Government and the Police authorities urging that suitable action should be taken against the exhibition of indecent and suggestive posters at road junctions and other public places. Other important organizations such as the Missionary settlement for University Women, the Bombay Presidency Women's Council, the Gujrati Hindu Stree Mandal and the Bhagini Samaj have also supported the protest of the Bombay Vigilance Association. Now the Vigilance Association has received the following communication from the Government: "I am requested to suggest that your Association should bring to the notice of the Commissioner of Police, Bom bay, in future, any concrete instances of the display of obscene or indecent posters. I am to add that instructions have been issued to the police to maintain a vigilant atti Naseem can still set the heart palpitating in "Begum," a story of Taj Mahal Pictures. 9