HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD TELEVISION IT’S TIME FOR REVOLUTION IN CINEMA
Ditching the old formula of entertainment, filmmakers are experimenting with socially relevant issues to make films
Bollywood is now going beyond the idea of just providing entertainment through films and expressing their take on social issues too. Several films have released in the recent past that highlight issues such as water pollution, flaws in the election system and open defecation. Actor Shahid Kapoor’s next film Roshni will deal with the issue of electricity scam in India.
Director Shree Narayan Singh, who will direct Shahid in the film, also helmed Toilet: Ek Prem Katha starring Akshay Kumar that narrated a story on open defecation. “When we deal with such issues on a daily basis, it’s easier for an individual to relate with these topics,” says Singh.
A good story around these topics is important to increase the reach of a film, feels actor Arshad Warsi, whose film Irada dealt with the importance of water pollution and eco-system.
“If you have a film that completely deals with an environmental subject, it gets boring. I personally wouldn’t go and watch such a film. If I want to get educated, I would surf the internet or watch a documentary. But if the same message is woven in a story in an interesting manner, it will interest me. Irada was a good eco-thriller in that sense,” adds Warsi.
Actor Pankaj Tripathi, whose performance in the recent Rajkummar Rao starrer Newton, was highly appreciated, says, “The story is of prime concern. At the same time, it’s important to know ki filmmaker ka maqsad kya hai (the vision of the filmmaker). Mujhe lagta hai cinema is not just a medium of entertainment. We should also make something that makes the audiences think.”
Trade analyst Atul Mohan feels films on socially relevant topic is the new trend. “That’s the new flavour. Gone are the days when one could show routine stuff. Cinema has to evolve with changing times.”