FilmIndia (1946)

May, 1946 story and the dialogue of "40 Crores" for Chandra Art Productions. With all the best intentions in the world Panditji believed, like millions of his countrymen, that only Hindu-Muslim unity could win for his country the freedom it has been wanting for the last sixty years. So he put all his wits together and turned out some burning dialogue on Hindu-Muslim unity and even threatened those who dared to come in the way of this unity. Having done this the honest Panditji waited for the producers to do their bit. The producers turned out to be more honest. They brought out a map of India and round it made a Muslim and a Hindu deliver the strong dialogue of Panditji on unity. They went further in this good plan and borrowed from the News Parade, a film shot of the famous Gandhi-Jinnah meeting at Malabar Hill and put that into the picture as a further illustration of their good intentions about unity. The Hindus liked the idea when "40 Crores" was released during the month at the Krishna Talkies in Bombay. But the Muslims lost their humour. On Sunday, the 14th April, during the 4 p.m. show, they fired a few crackers and stood up shouting. One of them ran up to the screen and cut the screen across with a six-inch knife blade. Very soon there was a general pandemonium and people ran about in panic. The show was stopped and it still remains stopped. The theatre man refuses to run the picture and the handful of Muslims, who kicked up the row, refuse to let it run. The Censors saw the picture again and found nothing objectionable in it. The Hon. Mr. Morarji Desai, the Home Member, also saw the picture and wondered why the Muslims objected. Every one wonders but the Muslims still object. They don't believe in the Hindu-Muslim unity. They don't believein Gandhi and Jinnah meeting though these two did meet to be photographed together. The Hindus want an undivided, united India and the Muslims want only Pakistan. Pakistan is available only after cutting India into several parts. That is the main quarrel between the Hindus and the Muslims. And this quarrel, which was so long only in the field of politics, has now encroached upon our industry of entertainment. The intolerance of some Muslims is going to dictate to the rest of India what they should or should not have for entertainment. Very shortly these people will tell the rest of India what they should have for their daily meals. :We shall have to get everything ok'd by the Muslims. If we 'see the wrong entertainment they will tear our screen, if we eat the wrong food they will tear open our stomachs. It seems that the destiny of 400 million people has been handed over to the tender mercies of a few rowdv Muslims who are going to tell us what to do, what to see, what to eat, what to wear and what to talk. The Muslim rowdies have become the Censors of 400 millions and incidentally the masters, because some of them can whip out a knife quickly without worrying about human life. The knife is not the sole monopoly of the Muslims The Hindus can handle it equally well. The Gurkhas artexperts at it and the Sikhs don't lag behind. But the use of the knife is the privilege of the goondas whatever the community. The problem before us is whether we are to permit the goondas, whatever their religion or community, to dictate to us a new way of living. SMUJTIES ■k BEST SOUND RECORDING "BELLS OF ST. MARY'S" RAINBOW PICTURES' PRODUCTION R. K. O. RELEASE ★ BEST ACTING JOAN CRAWFORD WARNER BROS' MILDRED PIERCE * BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY "HITLER LIVES" WARNER BROS' * BEST TWO REEL SHORT STAR IN THE NIGHT WARNER BROS" ACHIEVEMENT IN NEW SCORING AUDITORIUM VOCAL ROOM AND REVERBERATION CHAMBER & MAIN SCORING STAGE ( RCA ASSISTED IN THIS DESIGN.) ALL THESE FILMS EQUIPMENTS. RECORDED ON RCA PH0T0PH0NE EQUIPMENTS LTD. BOMBAY DELHI CALCUTTA MADRAS LAHORE KARACHI