I make a film

On a cold November morning in 1943 a telegram came to me from the Bengal Govt. Secretariat in Calcutta to Berhay---- where I was posted as Regional Controller of Procurement of Rice. My job was to buy up on government account as much rice as was possible and to make it available for the relief of millions of poor people who were suffering from starvation; there was a severe famine in this land. Some said that their calamity was made worse by the policies followed by the Govt of Bengal as also by the Govt of India with its headquarters about 1,000 miles away in Delhi. The complaint was that the authorities were not sufficiently sensitive (they certainly were short-staffed) and that the scorched earth policy of government during the war years aimed at denying the enemy (the Japanese) transport, meant that boats and other country vehicles were not available even if they were sorely needed for the distribution of food grains and other supplies for stricken people in thousands of villages. The telegram from Delhi informed that an officer of the Royal Navy was on his way to meet me and that he would explain to me the purpose of his visit. I was requested to co-operate with him. Within 24 hours a pleasant officer from the RN arrived and said that the British authorities were anxious, especially during the mortal war against Germany being fought all over the world, that the USA should not misunderstand the British objective in India. With that aim in view, it was proposed to make a film depicting the great progress the Indian officials were making under British guidance in running the affairs of the country, and how they were now fully co-operating in all aspects of administration. This trend was to be encouraged by the USA so that eventually India could gain a suitable form of high autonomy and perhaps even full independence. The British aim was thus noble and deserved fullest sympathy and understanding from all its allies and should also ensure great contribution from India in bringing the war to a victorious end. I told my visitor that I absolutely understood the purpose of his visit and his objective in making a film which would aim to impress American opinion, but that I was totally in the dark as to why I should be a party to his plan. He went on to elaborate that for a proper film to serve the British objective, it was essential that a young Indian officer should be central to the theme he must be seen to be enjoying his work and at the same time looking forward to the day when Indians would be the masters of their own country. He went on to add that after much discussion in Calcutta it had been decided that I should be the central figure in the film, that it would mean very little interruption of my normal work (for indeed the film meant to depict the usual and responsible work the Indians themselves were doing) and that at most it might mean a few days in Calcutta to show how carefully and assiduously the British had trained the Indian officials to enable them to shoulder ever increasingly onerous responsibilities. I said that I had never appeared in a film, knew nothing of acting and so would not be of much use to him. However he insisted that since the film would reflect my day

to day life and work, no acting was needed, indeed any artificial element that acting almost implies would affect adversely the purpose of the film! After such an explanation I agreed to his proposal and was rather intrigued to find out how the film would develop and progress. We started at once.

Lt Commander V--- of the RN was the director, cameraman, manager all rolled into one and was to be my companion for the next two weeks. He was a very friendly type although I did not think he was too familiar with the Indian administration or too well equipped to meet the requirements of what I thought to be the American film market. However we went into this affair with much zeal. I was at one moment inspecting the local prisons and taking a lively interest in the prisoners welfare, discipline and uplift and at the next moment bicycling to a remote village to give cheer and succour to the peasants fighting the onrush of floodwater. I return to my lovely house totally exhausted and touch delicately a rose petal in a vase so thoughtfully filled and arranged by my faithful bearer or Man Friday. The next day I try cases and mete out summary justice quick and efficient to the petty law breakers who had disturbed the peace of the neighbourhood. The following day I am off again to oversee the village co-operative handing out seedlings to the villages for the next crop the interest was low, distribution fair and satisfaction universal. In this vein and stance we completed a section of the film. And then we moved to Calcutta to give the viewers a sample of the training the Indian officials had undergone jumping fences on horseback, learning the local language and history and making myself familiar with the land revenue system. However, the procurement of rice which was my specific job did not feature in the film. I enjoyed riding the maidan followed by a good lunch with Commander V--. The film was completed and he said and bid affectionate farewell to me. I never saw the film in any form at all and at any time. I mildly wondered from time to time about how it all came out. Months and years passed and in 1946 about 3 years later when I was posted in Delhi for about 3 months, I had an opportunity to enquire about the fate of this film. The British officials in the Ministry of I & B were in good humour for the war had been won, and I had a friend there in Dick Fenton - we were at Oxford together as ICS probationers. These officers were ready to talk although I doubt if they realised that my interest in the film was to some extent personal. Anyway they said with much glee that on the first showing in New York that there was so much shouting, hooting, and malicious handclapping and cheering that the British authorities had decided to withdraw it forever obviously it did not serve the purpose it was meant to serve and was frankly a clumsy propaganda effort. Dick Fenton asked me why I had wanted to know about the film which was made before he joined the Dept of I & B; I told him that as I was the central figure and was going to NY I wanted to be sure that I would not be mobbed on arrival. There was much mirth all round. 9.2.02.