FilmIndia (1946)

Hay, 1946 frlLMINDI A It the illiterate Muslim doesn't understand a problem Ind flares up, it is necessary tor the educated Muslim to Ixplain the same to him and get him to understand it. B'he same is true of every community, wherever the goonda llement is found. We are getting used to fireworks in politics. All the karties are exhausting themselves in uttering threats and lounter-threats. Now the poison is spreading to our dayK-day life. If it spreads further we are a doomed people, the Muslim knife will bring out the Hindu knife and l-om the clash of these two knives will flow blood that Kill strengthen the growth of alien rule. Hindus and Kfuslims will have given their lives to give a comfortable Iving to the wily Englishman. Freedom that is now on lie horizon of our hopes will have disappeared quickly Ike a summer cloud. Knives can't be constantly bathed li blood, they will be sheathed someday but the sheathed Inives will be the peeved blades of slaves under the preslire of bullets and not the arms of freedom's fighters. Ind at the post-mortem of such conflicts there will be liore Hindus and Muslims with bullets than with kmlc lirusts. That is our grim future if we allow a few goondas I13 go their own way without pulling them up. There is nothing objectionable in "40 Crores". There I nothing in it to offend or hurt our Muslims. The lieme of the picture is a plea for Hindu-Muslim unity. Kindu-Muslim unity is not a strange or a new thing. It I a familiar phase of Indian life, hundreds of years old. IR'hat is new in it that scares either the Hindus or the lluslims? What is in it that needs the knife to settle the Brgument? The Muslims, who are quicker with the knife, must Ihink this over dispassionately and so must the Hindus Ihose overwhelming numbers might lull them into secu■ty. Let the political differences be confined to the field If politics. Let politicians wangle over Pakistan, Akhand Hindustan and all other Stans. The masses have given Bieir votes to their politicians. There is no necessity ot tiding knives to them now. The politicians don't know low to use the knives, they are jugglers in words. It is no II se frightening the politicians and the people by brandish Ihg knives over trifling matters. If Pakistan is rightfully lue to the Muslims, they will get it without knives. The ■nife on the other hand, might delay the advent of Pakis An, by becoming a victim of the British bullet. In the meanwhile before we get Pakistan or Freedom, mi us show towards one another a little more forbearance Ind let us permit one another to present one's way of life without any one having to cut it short with a six-inch knife ■lade. I This land of 40 crores can only be peaceful and happy Arhen we sheathe the knife and switch on the smile. 1Bie smile too much of an effort to the usually gay Musl|Jm: We don't think so. •REAK THE SLIDES-RACKET. Our theatre owners never seem to be satisfied with the (luge profits they make by showing good and bad pictures. ■They must get some extra income out of their theatre Business ami they get it by showing the filmgoers a num■er of slides, before the show and during the interval. One wonders whether this slide-showing is morally ■Street for a showman who advertises and invites his patrons to pay to see an entertainment picture. No mention is made in the advertisements that fifty slides will bt shown in addition to the entertainment programme, nor are we told that these slides will be thrust on us when we least expect them and right in the midst of the story proper. And the filmgoers are compelled to notice, entirely , against their wishes, that Narottam Bhau Jewellers have put up a new wristlet on the market to compete with Nanubhai Jewellers who had recently made a sensation with an anklet of rubies; that Saridon stops all pains within just five minutes including the pain of seeing the slide, that some Nicholson presents his name in different colours to prove to the world that he sells paints which, probably no one wants; that the "Bombay Chronicle" is the only paper people love to read in India — goodness knows when and why; that some ghee merchant has the right stuff to cook everything including everyone's goose and so on till the filmgoers are told that Metro's Tees, | Regal's candies or Eros' cakes are the last things in the world to enjoy during the interval and before departing Irom this sordid world. Each slide, which yields between Rs. 7^' and Rs. ioojper month to the theatre-man, adds to the headache of the innocent filmgoer who has been lured to pay to see some popular star or entertainment. This is not honest business. The theatre-man has no excuse to impose on us the painful penalty of seeing 50 stupid slides when our bargain with him is only to see a motion picture. By showing us the slides, the showman For Import and Export between India and U.S.A. License Holders Please Contact Cable : "INDCO" WATUMULL BROS. Phone Tucker 2684 Limited Partner INDIA-AMERICA PRODUCTS CO. IMPORTERS EXPORTERS MANUFACTURERS AGENTS ABNASHI RAM 453 South Spring Street Managing Partner Los Angeles 13, Calif., U.S.A. Enquiries must be with complete Specifications also Trade References For Motion Picture ( films, Equipment And Accessories ) Department— Please Refer To : RAM BAGAI 13