FilmIndia (Feb-Dec 1949)

OQ5 OQ5 {This is the reader's forum — as and when space permits. From the producer to the lay film-foer, every one can write to the Editor and ventilate his grievance. For every letter published in these columns, the publishers will pay Rs. SiLetters should be signed and marked " Woes And Echoes". Photographs of the readers will be published along with their letters, if convenient. — The Editor.) SMOKING 'Prohibiting smoking in Bombay lemas is good work. The Governnt of Madras are also going to o\v this lead. ^Generally, when college students t some girls in the cinemas they )ke too much and turn the audiium into a smoky hell. 'Bombay's lead must be followed other provinces if they are as anus to look after the health and riene of their people. The Ajmer-Marwara authorities uld also prohibit smoking in ci i 1a houses immediately '. ■VIER. S. Chakrabarty. PUNJABIS ALL ! I Have you ever heard a father Wing his son 'a son of an owl', *an ■gaily begotten son' or "a son of a I donkey in the presence of the ier's mother? If not please see laman" a Punjabi him produced ra Punjabi. iBeing a Punjabi 1 was very much Icked and ashamed on hearing Ike epithets which no sensible man ■ tolerate. Nit is a shame on the producer It the director of this him:" I'lLA. Sohan Sharma. WHY PATRONIZE I November 1948 saw the opening ■another new cinema, "Kempegow■Talkies", in Bangalore. This was B seventh new talkies built in this ■n during the post-war period, in me of cement and steel shortage. If Itn not mistaken another two cinem are under construction. The ■sing problem here is very acute ■ yet our popular ministry is alIjing mansions to be built merely tj the entertainment of the people Ibreas thousands here are denied a ■If to live under. ItComing to this Kempegowda Ijkies, it is almost a triangular Hiding. Its corridors, and there are lite a number of them, resemble Hgeons and one gets the impresIh that he is in a monastery inIkd of a cinema hall. I am very Hch doubtful whether at first this Hiding was intended to be a theaT Balcony contains only one class viz., Rs. 1-10. I happened to go to this theatre on the second day of its opening to see "Dak Bungalow . I purchased a Rs. 1-10 ticket and when I was directed to the balcony I almost mistook it to be an 8 as. class, so bad are the seats. There is a complete absence of fans and there were whispers to the effect that the hall is air conditioned. As the picture proceeded, it became unbearable for me to sit. It was miserably hot and there was an air of uneasiness about the audience. The whispers about air conditioning soon changed into curses and not a soul was able to enjoy the picture. This is winter and I shudder to think what will be the fate of the filmgoers in summer. Is it right on the part of an exhibitor, Mr. Patel to exact Rs. 1-10 from a filmgoer and make him go through all these ordeals?" V . K. Fazlur Rahman. r.\\<-ALORE. MR. CHANDRALEKHA ? "The Government of Madras have restricted the duration of cinema shows to 3 hours. This, you will no doubt agree, is wise action. "Strangely enough, Mr. S. S. Vasan, the leading Tamilnad film pro ducer, has expressed his "strong condemnation of the government action. In the past, this patriotic film producer had waxed eloquently on the "educative" aspect of films. He had also propounded many idealistic thoughts on films which were very much appreciated by people who regard film as a fine art. But they were very much dismayed when Mr. Vasan himself produced films based on nothing but myth, magic and mystery. A very queer way of educating the ignorant and superstitious masses indeed ! ''From the experience derived from his own films perhaps, Mr. Vasan thinks that any attempt to restrict the duration of cinema show "would result in denying the poor man the relaxation he is seeking". What concern for the poor man! Poor (pitiable) indeed is that man who must sit for more than three hours in a cinema show to get entertainment or relaxation from Mr. Vasan's pictures! Will that man get the entertainment at all even if he heroically sits for hours? I doubt very much". POONA. H. K. Rao. SOUTH INDIAN CENSORS "Yi e are really surprised and at Jairaj and Sulochana Cliatterjee seem to be in u moment of distress in "Ladli", • social story produced by Variety Pictures. 45