FilmIndia (1946)

FILM INDIA Kanan goes Arabian in "Arabian Nights" produced by P. R. Productions of Calcutta. try is fortunate enough to possess such literary people things are going worse. "Can you expect and appreciate "Mere Jubna Ka dekho ubhar papi" from Josh, our national Urdu poet and "Ghar hamnay liya hai Tere ghar ke Samnay" — (Hamari Baat) from Narendra, the creator of "Pravasi ke geet"? Surandra Kishore. RAM PUR (STATE) VICTIM OF JEALOUSY "How is it that 'Draupadi' which was produced by you long ago has not so far been released here, (Delhi) the Capital of India? We have been waiting for the last one year for its release and have now lost our patience. Is it really not a pity that while many other rotten pictures are being dumped on us, we are deprived of one of the best pictures meant for the educated classes? Will you, therefore, kindly let us at least know the reason for this negligence?" NEW DELHI. 0. P. Vaish. SUCKING BLOOD? "As a result of your scathing criticism and constructive suggestions in regard to the seating arrangements in the local houses here, the rates in the lower class were doubled, with the obvious idea of making the seating arrangements more comfortable. "But in spite of all the ballyhoo kicked up by you in your paper, big guns like M|s. General Talkies, the bosses of several houses, seem to be sitting tight. The arrangements for seating in their houses, viz. the Majestic and the Jubilee, far from being in the least comfortable, are the worst type of arrangements — the same as they were before. This causes a great discomfort to those who cannot afford higher rates. Could you kindly see that these parasites, reluctant to loosen the strings of their hoarded purses, spare something for the benefit of those who pay?" NEW DELHI. Ratan Chanel Jain. CAN WE? "I have seen Shantaram's Dr. Kotnis", with great disappointment. The man who has made all record pictures in the beginning of his career should be ashamed of giving us such a bogus, ridiculous and nonsensical stuff after so much of experience. "Dr. Kotnis" is just stupid, rotten and disgusting. Its dialogue is dry and unpleasant. The songs of the picture are a source of headache. Baburao Pcndharkar has been forcibly thrust into the July, 1946 picture. He makes his appearance every now and then without adding any zest to the story. "Can't we stop good men from doing wrong jobs, Mr. Baburao?" Mahesh Datta, B.A. CAWNPORE. BETTER THAN NOTHING "The suggestion of Mr. N. S. V. Chalam, Bangalore, to condemn all the touring cinemas in South India (Refer "Woes & Echoes" May '46) is rather unnatural. The reason being that every village is not provided with a pucca theatre and as such the villagers can expect some sort of amusement only from touring cinemas and I can say, that these touring cinemas are helping the villagers to amuse themselves. I can appreciate, if Mr. N. S. V. Chalam can suggest some other means by which the villagers can be shown films. As regards the rates, these are also within their reach. Perhaps our friend was born and brought up in a city and he may not realise the necessity of the poor villagers who are too far away from the city." XEGAPATAM. N. V. R. Swamy. ASK HIM. "With a hope to have some fine entertainment, the other day I went to see the great (?) Shantaram's much boosted "Dr. Kotnis ki Amar Kahani" at a local theatre. But, to my great disappointment and quite contrary to my expectations, I found the picture a miserable failure. In those ten thousand and some odd feet there was hardly any situation which one could describe as artistic or entertaining. I felt myself extremely bored from the beginning to the end, without a moment's relief. "A man of Shantaram's status who gave us, in the past, brilliant pictures like "Admi", "Padosi" and "Duniya na Mane", should be ashamed of such a worthless picture. Really, by producing "Dr. Kotnis ki Amar Kahani" Shantaram has added no prestige to his reputation as an able producerdirector, but he has simply rattled down his own standard. Hasn't he?" Prithi Paul Singh Chawla I \ I IORF, 66