Cinema - Mirror of the Society

Cinema - Mirror of the Society

( by Rounakshi Dey )

Cinema. What does crop to our mind when we first hear this word? Entertainment. Relaxation. A social Message. A new story. 

Cinema is not a single word it is an amalgamation of a number of emotions together. It is our most frequented resort that we look up to on for relaxation.

So is cinema just about relaxation and entertainment?

The answer is a clear cut NO. Cinema is a great teacher. Cinema is the eye of the society. Cinema features true stories as well as fabricated ones to depict a social message. All cinema no matter if it is a masala-flick has a strong message to share among all its viewers.

Cinema not only deals with the current scenarios or current problems of our lives but also depicts our glorious past. Cinema, sometimes tells stories of the future of social issues that are still are taboo. Cinema is a very powerful medium since all people irrespective of their social status watch a movie. So it is important that our cinema always provides a strong social message to its masses.

Our country houses a number of cultures with each one having their own set of customs. Cinema projects each of the cultures with their specialties and makes sure that people from other cultures can connect to them. Cinema is a coming together of different cultures. Also, certain cinema projects the backdrop of a particular state which helps the viewers of other place to know more of the customs and traditions of that place. Cinema is coming together of people from different parts together and celebrating life.

Cinemas connect similar fated people together. People who are minorities in any way find a voice through the cinema. People who have helped the society but away from the public light gain public support with the aid of cinema.

Cinema reflects emotion. Emotion is the most basic attribute of human beings. Cinema arises a lot of emotions among its viewers.

Now we see a few examples of Cinema influencing our thoughts and this society as a whole.

Matrubhoomi: A Nation without Women:-

This movie tells us the importance of women. In our society a girl child’s birth is rarely met with happiness and glory. A girl is supposed to be a burden on the parents and her only role involves being a good wife and a mother. The movie explores what will happen to our nation if we do not have women in it. It preaches against female infanticide and strongly against the stereotypical role of women in the society. It protests against the injustice met to a woman since her birth. It spreads a strong message about the social evils still dwelling in our society.

3 IDIOTS:-

This movie ridicules the education system of our country. Our education system has been reduced to nothing but a mere rat-race. Children are forced to leave behind all their passion only for the sake of getting into premier institutions and land with high salary packages. Our pay package becomes a measure of our success and we leave behind happiness. This movie is an eye-opener for the parents to not put excessive pressure on their children and allow them live a life of their choice.

Arakshan:-

This movie fights against the reservation system still prevalent in the society. Reservation of seats for minorities and tribes have been a rule since the commencement of our constitution. This issue has been discussed by the masses a lot of times but the government has never paid in heed to this. This movie is more for the government than for the common people.

English Vinglish:-

This movie apart from portraying a splendid performance by Sridevi also shows the struggle of a regular housewife. Speaking English seems to be a status symbol in most of the households. People unable to speak fluent English are often ridiculed and looked down upon. Speaking English and being educated seems to be at par with each other in our society. This movie breaks that stereotype through a simple home-maker.

Rang de Basanti:-

This movie depicts youth power in our nation. It shows that no matter what position the government officials hold, they can be questioned if they are wrong. This movie looks back at our great glorious history depicting the struggle of our freedom fighters. The movie is about patriotism and loving our country and even trying to change its practices if we do not like it.

Taare Zameen Par:-

This movie deals with a child suffering from dyslexia. This a movie for all those special children who need a bit more of our attention. Parents even have a hard time dealing with these children. But this movie tells us that every child is special and instead of reprimanding a child for being slow in studies we should deal it with love and compassion. In many cases we find that these problems are over-looked causing the child to suffer more. We should never neglect them and make them a part of this society.

The list of movies continue.

However, Cinemas can sometimes be a bad influence too. Cinemas stereotyping gender roles, making fun of LGBT communities, showing regressive mindset affect the masses. Item dance numbers in cinema reduce a girl to merely a piece of flesh. Such thoughts and ideas need to be banned as people learn negatives things from them.

As a responsible citizens of the nation, we should wisely choose the contents we will like to see in form of Cinema. Also all filmmakers and actors must keep in mind that apart from being an entertainment industry cinema spreads a social message too. Hence, Films must be made with care.

Disclaimer:-

The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Light de Literacy and LDL does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.