FilmIndia (1946)

* m Jg Jt^% ( This is the reader's forum— as and when space permits M M M £ f g From the producer to the lay film-goer, every one can M M M n A / write to the Editor and ventilate his grievance. For every letter A S\A /)M/V/?X published in these columns, the publishers will pay Rs. 51 WW VtSjaf Letters should be signed and marked "Woes And Echoes". Photographs of the readers will be published along with their letters, if convenient. — The Editor. ) PLEAD IGNORANCE! "Nowadays it seems that we Indians on this side of the Bay of Bengal are destined to see only the 1st Class all round rotten films such as "Chand Tara", "Maharathi Karna", "Banduk Wali", "Chashma Wali" and the like. "The film exhibitors of Rangoon seem to have taken it for granted that all filmgoers in this town are dunces and dunderheads fit only to see these 1st class flops of Indian films. "The headache we had recently from "Chand Tara" had scarcely abated when we had another dose of headache from "Maharathi Karna" this week; and the next week the "Wonderful Banduk Wali" will probably shoot through our heads. "I have not got your review of this "Maharathi Kama", and I wonder in what way does this mythical stuff contribute to the progress of society or humanity at large. What is there in this picture for us to learn or to emulate or to be entertained or edified? Do the producers want us to get inspiration or aspiration from these mythical stupidities and legendary fantasies of the ancient past? Is it to inspire us to imitate Karna and his fanatical generosity and to flay our skins and give them to beggars as he did, or is it to follow the great Ghatotkachh and his witchcraft of flying without wings, so that we may compete with the "flying fortress" or "B 29"? "Or for what purpose this mythical, irrational picture was produced, Mr. Editor?" RANGOON. H. A. Rahman. LISTEN LALAJI Mrs. Indra Devi Shukla has already pointed out in the September issue of your 'filmindia' the goondaism that is found at Nigar Talkies Cawnpore. On the top of this a special peculiarity of this Cinema house is that at the end of every show the entrance of 1st class is invariably closed and people are required to come out through side windows and doors leading to the narrow lanes which are the passages for II and III classes and the 'stronghold' of goondas. When people manage to pass through these passages with their ladies, they have to face another 'front' in front of the cinema house because the windows for II and III class tickets are opened in such a direction that they face each other and the two queues of II and III class filmgoers virtually erect a wall in front of the cinema house and make it practically impossible for people to pass without having a bit of a struggle and tussle. The scene can better be seen than described. The ladies feel most embarrassed to have to force a passage through such rowdyism and goondaism. On the one hand the hall of Nigar Talkies is the best among the Miss Mona, a new comer makes her debut in "Toofani Takkar." local Indian picture houses, its seats are most comfortable and location, quite central and on the other the treatment that is meted out to people is now too obvious to be describ<1 Such state of affairs do not exist even in other local picture houses which are never meant for the gentry and are decidedly worse in other respects. "It will suffice if the management takes a lesson in this direction from its neighbour "Imperial Talkies", if it cannot do any more." CAWNPORE. 0. P. Varma. WHAT ELSE? "Do you, in the section reserved for the "Woes & Echoes" ever publish a letter that criticizes you or your work? So far, I have always read letters that either congratulate you or agree with or praise you, but never a bad word against you. Are you so popular with the readers that none of them dares to contradict you or is it something else?" BOMBAY 7. Miss Z. E. Patel. SHOULD, BUT— "The most powerful and fascinating medium to restore peace, harmony and brotherhood is our singular "Cinema Industry". "Oui unfortunate motherland is of late invaded by the worst type of communal scourge. It is spreading like a wild fire to the various parts of India. Both Hindus and Muslims think in terms of cutting each other's throats. "In a critical moment like this should not the best brains of our Industry, strain every nerve, to produce some effective HinduMuslim unity pictures and thus reinstate Brotherhood among the blood-thirsty millions?" Mehrunnisa Begum. VAINIYAMBADI. YOURS ENOUGH "Do you feel with me that the reputed Bengalee Directors and artists like Debaki Bose, Nitin 73