CAUSE AND EFFECT
With Aamir Khan’s Dangal deftly tackling gender inequality, we take a look at films that have successfully highlighted social issues
Aamir Khan’s Dangal (2016) doesn’t just portray the struggle of a father who trains his daughters to become worldclass wrestlers, the sports-drama also bats for a relevant issue — gender equality and freedom for women in a conservative society. Interestingly, over the past year, a few other films have also tackled current social issues in an entertaining yet powerful way.
A DIFFICULT BALANCE
Last year’s Udta Punjab dealt with the problem of drug abuse in Punjab, while Dear Zindagi (2016) delved into different issues faced by the youth today. Likewise, Vidya Balan-starrer Kahaani 2 (2016) touched upon child sexual abuse in a nuanced manner.
“It’s [child sex abuse] something people don’t want to hear, let alone talk about or watch [on screen]. We wanted to portray it in a way that was straightforward, but with sensitivity. That was a difficult balance to strike. I was okay with telling the story, because I have known survivors of child sex abuse,” says Vidya.
Experts feel that the trick is to merge issues with the film’s plot in a seamless and entertaining way instead of presenting them as a documentary. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, “This way, a film will reach a wide variety of people, and not just a limited audience.”
DIRECT CONNECT
This year will see films such as Commando 2 and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha highlighting social issues. Commando 2 revolves around the business of black money, which is closely connected to the demonetisation of currency notes declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. Akshay Kumar’s film, Toilet, is believed to be based around the Swachh Bharat initiative by the Modi government.
Commando 2 producer Vipul Shah says, “Black money has become a huge national issue since 2014, with political parties and courts getting involved. At that time, we thought of writing a story centered on the issue for an espionage thriller.”
Shah adds that such films can connect with people well. “If our PM is talking about any issues, then they are the most important issues in our country. If a film is based on any such issues, it will have an immediate and strong connection with a number of people,” he says
The 1950s and 1960s saw a slew of socially-relevant films such as Do Bigha Zamin (1953), Pather Panchali (1955), Jagte Raho (1956) and Naya Daur (1957) being received well. Such movies came back in a big way in the ‘70s and ‘80s, with the highlights including Nishant (1975), Aakrosh (1980), Ardh Satya (1983), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Mirch Masala (1987), and Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro (1989) among others.
“Cinema is a very strong medium. It’s a great sign that social issues are being picked up by film-makers. Films can play a critical role in a progressive society and its thought process. For example, Dangal shows that women can enter a so-called maledominated sport such as wrestling,” says trade analyst Amod Mehra.
But are actors readily taking up roles in such hard-hitting films? Shahid Kapoor, who starred as a drug addict rock star in Udta Punjab, says, “If I’m getting to play a role in a movie that I feel is amazing, and get a part that excites me, why should I not do it? This was one of the first things regarding Udta Punjab [that excited me]. People had said I was crazy and asked why I’m playing such a tragic character. I was told that films related to drugs don’t work.” –