FilmIndia (1946)

June. 1946 FILMIND1A house with the door open. These cables to foreigners constitute, in our opinion, perhaps the most idiotic expression of helpless slaves in jitters. People who could not tackle Gogtay, who was merely an employee of the Association, people who eould not compel one of their colleagues to cut off the slander against a film producer from the film "Din Raat". how do they expect independent and powerful foreign concerns to pay any heed to such idiotic telegrams of threat? Even the language of the cables smells of inferiority-complex and slavish supplication. The words: "Kindly desist from setting up organization and cooperate with our industry" and "Kindly stop idea dubbing and continue good relations with our industry" do not sit well on the lips of a nation on its eve of wresting freedom from the most powerful imperialism of the world. If these fellows didn't know enough English to draft the cables correctly, why the hell didn't they get someone who could do the job well nursing our national self-respect? A note of extreme ignorance is struck when the Press Note proceeds to state: "The Indian film industry has received assistance and co-operation from the U. S. film industry in the supply of raw film and equipments required for the industry and it is the earnest desire of the industry that the American industry should desist from making further inroads into this national industry." These fellows do not even know that the manufacturers of raw films and equipment do not constitute a part of the "U. S. film industry". The U. S. film industry, of which the headquarters are Hollywood, tried its level best to keep all the output of raw film of U. S. A. within its own borders, but the manufacturers of raw films and equipment, who are always keen to maintain peace-time export markets, insisted on a part of their output going overseas under the Lease and Lend Plan. The LT. S. film industry had nothing to do with the export of such material and the gratuitous indebtedness expressed by the Indian producers is entirely out of place. Apart from the peace-time export angle of the U. S. A. manufacturers, the imports into our country of materials essential for ovir industry, were negotiated by the Government of India with the solitary idea of using the Indian film industry and its product for war propaganda purposes. What are the producers then thanking the U. S. film industry for? While the members of the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association expect full co-operation from the press and the public "to fight tooth and nail any attempt of foreigners", can't they stop some of their own colleagues, who are members of the Association, from actively co-operating with the foreigners and helping them to establish their business in India? "Bambi". the Walt Disney cartoon-feature which R. K. O. Radio is dubbing with different Indian languages, is being done at the Prabhat Studios in Poona with the full help and co-operation of Mr. Baburao Pai, a prominent member of the Producers' Association. "Bambi", in vernaculars, will easily collect over Rs. 20 lakhs in India, within three years. When Rai Bahadur Chuni Lall asked Mr. Pai about this, Mr. Pai is reported to have said that he had to agree to give facilities to R. K. 0. Radio Pictures with a view to maintain their existing close business relations. Another prominent member of the Producers' Association is already reported to have entered into permanent arrangements with M. G. M. to build a hundred permanent theatres and supply a hundred travelling vans to show M.G.M.'s i6 mm. films throughout the country. When there are quislings in their own fold, how are the members of the Producers' Association justified in calling upon the press and the public to agitate on national grounds? The press is not an instrument of convenience to make rich producers more rich and our producers can't exploit the prevalent national sentiment in such a cheap mercenary manner by asking the press and the public to agitate, when quite a few of their own colleagues are actively co-operating with the foreigners to sabotage our national interests The press doesn't need a reminder from the producers about its duty towards our national industries. The press will always do its bit without asking for rewards or appreciation. But the press expects people of the industry to be more patriotic and honest before thev ask the press to help them. As long as there are quislings in the Indian film industry, let us not talk tall about 'fighting the foreigners tooth and nail." Quislings use their teeth and nails for grabbing opportunity and chewing profits and not for building a nation. Madhuri is gradually coming back to the screen. Hope it is not the director she saw in "Silver Queen." a picture of Nsptune Films. 5