India Uses Films in Promotion of Mass Education

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 77, 17 April 1937, Page 18

India Uses Films in Promotion of Mass Education

BOMBAY— Tbe. film industry is coming into its own for mass education purposes in India. Wben, in April 1936, tbe Marquis of Idnlitbgow took cbarge of tbe Vicoroyalty, one of bis first aets on reacbing Delbi was to present two bulls to tbe country. .To.explain tbe need for iniproved breeding of cattle, be made a film with tbe belp of a Bombay film studio. .Tbe picture bas beeu shown now practically all over Infiia, and tbe Viceroy bas in tbis way spoken to severai million cultivators, interesting tbem in tbe economic use of cattle. It is only an experiment, but it seems to open vast possibilities for mas3 education in India. Tbe first Indian film was made in 1913, tbe first "talkie" in 1931, tbe first multicolour in 1933 and tbe first cartoon .in 1935. Tbere was no"w about 760 cinemas, a small number it is true Eor sucb a vast country. But India ii comparatively poor, tbe towns are few in number and tbe people bave not yet icquired tbe cinema babit. Of tbese 700 cinemas bowever, hardlj i tbird sbow films imported from tbe CJnited States or Great Britain. Tb&. greater sbare -of tbe market is beld by ITndian film producers. This is not genBrally regretted, for ever since Westera film producers went over to sound anu' music they have become to a large ex tent unintelligible to the Indian people In India less tban 3,000,000 know tbe English language and few can apDreciate Western music. 'Tbe bulk oi the 350,000,000 wbo inbabit tbe land iave tberefore to be content with Cndian productious. Plots Taken from Classics An Indian audience is not difficult to jlease if plenty of excitement is provid}d witb a human story against a famiiar background. Tbe most popular plots so far bave been ones taken from such [ndian classics as the Bamayana and the Mababbarata. Kext in popularity comes Sbakes?eare. In particular the Indianized vernon of "Hamlet,; bas been successful 30th on stage and screen. A recent development bas been tbe idaptation *to tbe film of stories written )y sucb Indian novelists as Sarat 3arat Chandra Cbatlerjee, in Bengal, md K. M. Munsbi, in Bombay. Costs Kept at Minimum. Tbere are at present about 100 prolucing companies. The quality of theii work is not .very high. Tbe reason is

cbiefly because earnings, being small, tbe cost of production bas to bo severely limited. Kevertbeless improvement is taking place and the standard expected to rise furtber. A Motion Picture Society bas been formed bere in Bombay and conferences bave taken place from time to time in other places. At a recent gathering rnucb interest was sbown in tbe educalional film. But progress in introducing thc systcm into scbools bas so far been slow, cbiefly for financial roasons.