FilmIndia (1946)

ht HomE nno abroad LOVERS NO LONGER Raja Pandit, ex-producer, actor and what not, is reported to have quarrelled with his film actress wife Ratnamala. Among the Hindus they don't divorce so the romantic couple has put between them 300 miles and him actress Ratnamala has given a notice in the papers that the Power of Attorney given to Hubby Pandit has been cancelled. Hubby Pandit is now wondering whether it was wise to lose a small gold mine in a spot of whisky. COMMUNAL FURY Backward till yesterday, the Bhendy Bazaar Muslims seem to have become suddenly conscious of politics. Some of them saw, "40 Crores", a motion picture dedicated to Hindu Muslim Unity and lost their moorings. On the 14th April, in the midst ol the 4 p.m. show, these ultra-sensitive Muslims threw a few crackers about, tore open the several seats and slashed the screen with a six-inch blade. With knives out, several posters of the picture were torn and the booking offices of the Krishna Cinema in Bombay were mobbed. The resultant panicstopped further shows and the picture went for the perusal of sober-headed Muslims and some officials. GONE WITH THE WIND All was not well recently with the unfortunate Prabhat Film Company of Poona. Since the day when the first seeds of discord were sown and Keshavrao Dhaiber walked out of the Panch-Pandav partnership, the partners have always been misunderstanding one another. The PanchPandav continuity was maintained by admitting Baburao Pai in place of Keshavrao but shortly afterwards, V. Shantaram walked out arm-in-arm with Jayshree and three-and-a-half lakhs in his pocket. Misfortune took Damle to the upper regions from where people don't come back, leaving Fatehlal, Baburao Pai and another sleeping partner sleeping all the while. Bickerings and quarrels were soon heard and Prabhat gave one flop after another to the amusement of many. Now matters are settled with Baburao Pai no longer in charge of production, though still a partner, and Fatehlal bossing the show. Not to be robbed of his glory as a producer, taking Rao Saheb Parker and Pralhad Seksaria as sponsors, Baburao has started his own production unit in Bombay under the name of Famous Pictures. Let us see what the Prabhat bugle sounds next. SAFETY VALVE To make up for its general bankruptcy, the Government of Orissa has decided to levy Entertainment Tax. Recruit A. S. Habib of P. O. Box 254, Nairobi, is 5' 8" and would like to replace one of the old faces. Here is a snap in action of Sushila Rani in "Gvalai by Baburao Patel. iduced and directed The bill to impose this tax was expected to be rushed through the Assembly sometime in the first week of April. After the Bill is passed, the Oriyas will have to pay the Government something in addition to what they pay the theatre-owners for their entertainment. IT'S A PITY Black-marketing in tickets is making its own history by creating rowdy scenes and disturbances. Often encouraged by the cinema management, black marketeers have become very bold in their activities. Almost a riot took place at a cinema house, in North Calcutta recently, when a gentleman, accompanied by some ladies protested at the exorbitant price demanded by the black-marketeer for tickets. The cheeky blackmarketeer flung filthy abuse at the ladies and took shelter inside the cinema house and stu-Jents from the Vidyasagar College Hostel demanded his surrender. The theatre man refused to hand over the fellow and the students did the next best thing — to bring the furniture out from the cinema and burn it in the road. It's a pity they missed the cinema. ARE WE? The Sales Tax in Bengal is already creating trouble in the province. The cinema houses seem to be making advance payments towards the Sales Tax by contributing their furniture, screens, machinery and other property. A mob, carrying Congress and Muslim League flags and after passing 55