Literature is the mirror of society. Well that can very well be extended to cinema as well. And in fact in modern time the latter make more sense going by the sheer volume of audience cinema attracts than a book. Cinema reflects our society back at us. Though sometime we are unable to sense it as there is so much disparity in society itself. A virtually westernised urban audience fails to see it's reflection in movies with rural settings, An urban migrant labourer or rural population cannot be expected to relate with movies based on upper middle class life. And senior citizens do not fully appreciate the new generation films. Cinema shows us what we think, what we want, and what we want to be. It shows us how different sections of population have different set of problems and how they tackle it, and without cinema it seems unimaginable how we could have got chance to observe such diverse lifestyle unless we are adventurer and ardent traveller.
A generation's cinema can be as good as the society is. The term "good" here is relative. We like some films we dislike some other. We like films and consider them good which we can relate with our life or at least are aware that something like this might happen or if it resonates with our fantasy. We dislike films or consider them bad which we fail to see any relation with our life or which is completely out of sync with our wildest imagination. But there is one thing that resonate with all of us, in no matter what kind of film it is, and that is "heroism". The good guy protagonist character around which the whole movie revolves. We relate to this character, we love this character and more often than not we try to imitate the character.
Cinema heroism has profound impact on the society's behaviour, and in that sense it is not just a mirror but torchbearer and guide too. It's not that it only impacts the impressionable mind of adolescent but it has it's significant imprint on the adult's behaviour too. And that makes the task of film maker all the more difficult in ensuring proper portrayal of the "hero" character. But Indian film makers have not given enough care in the carving out character of "hero" figure that it actually deserves. In bid to show the machoism that is associates with "hero" in almost all the movies of recent times or even old time we have witnessed the character flaunting all the norms of civil society and with no legal consequence. This is bad at so many levels.
An honest and no nonsense police officer beating bad guys in the street and then locking them up and torturing them in jail cell and sometime even killing them is a recurring feature in our movies and is also widely appreciated by the audience. But this is illegal. Police do not have mandate to beat people. A good police officer would be the one who arrests the criminal and produce that criminal in court within 24 hour without even slapping him.
A guy in one sided love with a girl constantly stalking her and following her openly in the street is considered cute and romantic. But guess what stalking is criminal offence and that "hero" guy should be put in jail not appreciated for his indomitable spirit. Is it too difficult to figure out where these road side romeo in real life derives their creativity from?
All the extra legal steps that hero character takes during movies to take vengeance for the atrocities which he has faced in the beginning of movie are all applauded and becomes the source of inspiration for society. This makes the task of implementing rule of law all the more difficult and dream of establishment of legally and morally upright society far fetched.
Film censor board will do more good to the society if it will start censoring adulated extralegal features of the films than what it is currently busy in doing, cutting "inappropriate" love scenes and "abusive" language.
A generation's cinema can be as good as the society is. The term "good" here is relative. We like some films we dislike some other. We like films and consider them good which we can relate with our life or at least are aware that something like this might happen or if it resonates with our fantasy. We dislike films or consider them bad which we fail to see any relation with our life or which is completely out of sync with our wildest imagination. But there is one thing that resonate with all of us, in no matter what kind of film it is, and that is "heroism". The good guy protagonist character around which the whole movie revolves. We relate to this character, we love this character and more often than not we try to imitate the character.
Cinema heroism has profound impact on the society's behaviour, and in that sense it is not just a mirror but torchbearer and guide too. It's not that it only impacts the impressionable mind of adolescent but it has it's significant imprint on the adult's behaviour too. And that makes the task of film maker all the more difficult in ensuring proper portrayal of the "hero" character. But Indian film makers have not given enough care in the carving out character of "hero" figure that it actually deserves. In bid to show the machoism that is associates with "hero" in almost all the movies of recent times or even old time we have witnessed the character flaunting all the norms of civil society and with no legal consequence. This is bad at so many levels.
An honest and no nonsense police officer beating bad guys in the street and then locking them up and torturing them in jail cell and sometime even killing them is a recurring feature in our movies and is also widely appreciated by the audience. But this is illegal. Police do not have mandate to beat people. A good police officer would be the one who arrests the criminal and produce that criminal in court within 24 hour without even slapping him.
A guy in one sided love with a girl constantly stalking her and following her openly in the street is considered cute and romantic. But guess what stalking is criminal offence and that "hero" guy should be put in jail not appreciated for his indomitable spirit. Is it too difficult to figure out where these road side romeo in real life derives their creativity from?
All the extra legal steps that hero character takes during movies to take vengeance for the atrocities which he has faced in the beginning of movie are all applauded and becomes the source of inspiration for society. This makes the task of implementing rule of law all the more difficult and dream of establishment of legally and morally upright society far fetched.
Film censor board will do more good to the society if it will start censoring adulated extralegal features of the films than what it is currently busy in doing, cutting "inappropriate" love scenes and "abusive" language.
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