Cinema is so prevalent in our everyday lives that we tend to remember famous dialogues from some of the super hit releases; we relate ourselves with our favorite characters, so be it Ranchordas Chhanchar from 3 idiots, Bajrangi Bhaijaan or the adorable Ishaan Avasthi from Taare Zameen Par. Movies play an important role in our lives and at a subconscious level, they impact our thinking, lifestyle and behaviour.
While cinema forms a key element of the entertainment sector, some movies are not solely for entertainment as they communicate a strong message to its audience and that is why cinema is regarded as one of the strongest modes of communicating a particular message or creating awareness amongst people.
This is so because majority of the people inculcate many things depicted in films, so be it any strong message directed towards the welfare of country as a whole or any new subject being introduced.
Over the years, many heart touching movies have been made, which succeeded in getting an overwhelming response from its audience; so be it Taare Zameen Par that taught us the importance of understanding your children and being patient with them or a critically acclaimed movie like Quissa that taught us how social taboos and Orthodox mentality brings nothing but disaster.
There are many movies that highlight sensitive subjects like honor killing, teenage sex, LGBT relationships, atrocities faced by women as well as Chauvinism and Patriarchy of the Indian society. All such movies introduce us to a new subject and create awareness about its prevalence in the society.
There were times when Bollywood movies revolved around romance and family drama but with more directors coming in the film industry with their novel ideas, films can no more be regarded as just an audio visual piece comprising drama. Instead, films are an effective platform for directors and producers to communicate their message to a wider audience and that too in a country where the awareness level is low amongst large part of the population.
The good thing about cinema is, it features a detailed version of any subject wherein it depicts its prevalence, impact and gravity. Reading about a particular subject apprises people about it but when it is highlighted in films, it leaves a long lasting impact on its audience. E.g. The recent Bollywood release named Dangal which was inspired by real life events, depicted the audacity and endless efforts of two girls of Haryana and their father, who in the pursuit of making his daughters world class boxers went to any extent and broke the rigid boundaries of the society. The movie actually motivated girls, especially the one’s belonging to Haryana, a region where female feticide and discrimination against women is so prevalent.
India produces the most number of films in an year, somewhere between 1500-2000; now imagine a life without cinema, it will make us aloof of so many events happening across the world. We will be unaware of different cultures, places, social taboos, budding issues and other kind of problems faced by the society.
Therefore, it is time to change our thought process and view films as a medium that communicates an impactful message, instead of watching them with the sole purpose of getting entertained.
