Short Note on Cinema and Society in India

Cinema is a part and parcel of general cultural pattern and the socio-economic, cultural and political forces shape and conditions it. Today when the emphasis is being placed on the utility-basis of every branch of knowledge, the field of research is also witnessing more and more application, of an inter-disciplinary approach. It could be suggested that while interacting with socio-economic and political realities of a period, cinema influences as well as gets influenced by it. This realization has led historians, sociologists and political scientists to conduct studies on films to understand the socio-economic, political and cultural realities through cinema. Scholars like Marc Ferro treats film as both a ‘source’ as well as ‘agent’ of history. As a ‘source’ of history, film portrays the ‘relationships with the societies that produce and consume it’ and also ‘social processes involved in the making’. As an agent of history, film depicts and promotes particular values, principles and attitudes in given cultures.

Cinema has created a significant landmark in the developmental journey of the whole art media -i.e. it binds a large and diverse audience even while expressing minute details. This can be explained by the fact that classical works are not, generally, read by the common masses but the films based on them are, generally, seen by a large chunk of common audience. Tamas of Bhisham Sahni, based on the events during the partition of India may not have been read by many but the tele-film version has been seen by a vast majority on the screen.

Sometimes a film evokes a very sharp reaction as it touches a certain weakness within the social fabric of its times. Devdas (1935) generated a lot of pessimism among the youth of those times. Similarly, Rattan (1944) witnessed a surge of young boys eloping with young girls or committing suicide, and conflicts reported between children and their parents on the right to select their life partners and manage their own lives. V. Shantaram famous film director, realized efficacy of film medium as an instrument of social change. He used film medium successfully to advocate humanism, expose bigotry and injustice and to further social reform. His films Duniya Na Mane (1937) dealt with the problem of mis-matched marriage in the society i.e. a young girl married to an old man, Padosi (1939) advocated Hindu – Muslim unity and Dahej (1950) depicted Indian evil of dowry. Achhut (1940) of Chandu Lal Shah was quite a poignant and meaningful statement on the oppression of untouchables. Similarly, Do Bigha Zamin (1953) of Bimal Roy shows the problems of Indian peasants. Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali (1955) depicts the life of an Indian village. It is appreciated for its realism, lyrical quality and aesthetic treatment. Bimal Roy’s film Sujata (1959) was against the issue of untouchability in Indian society. Amitabh Bachchan’s Zanjeer (1973) Deewar (1975) and Sholay (1975) were anti- establishment in nature and bestowed on him the title of ‘angry young man.’ Shyam Benegal’s Ankur (1974) provides insight into ugliness of Indian caste system while his Nishant (1975) exposes the feudal and patriarchal structure of society. Ardh Satya (1983) of Govind Nihalani deals with the corruption in police force and public life. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1997) were glossy and slick productions keeping in mind the Non – Resident Indian (NRI) population in mind. The way film Lagaan (2001) portrays the exploitative character of colonialism through the game of cricket is an example of how cinema reflects the cultural differences of the ruler and the ruled.

In recent times, some films dealing with relevant issues like Taare Zameen Par (2007) on dyslexia, Life in a Metro (2007) on solitude of people living in metropolitans, Paa (2009) on progeria and Gujarish (2010) on euthanasia have been made. Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Lajja (2001) portrays the position of women in Indian society; Prakash Jha’s film Gangajal (2003) exposes the nexus of criminals, bureaucracy and politicians; 3 Idiots (2008) of Rajkumar Hirani makes a plea for reform in the educational system of India while P.K. (2014) by the same director appeals the people to be more human and rational in their attitudes and reject the prevalent superstitions in the society.

Closely related to the exhibition of the film is the issue of censorship. At times, the political rulers of some countries, realizing the power and impact of cinema, started controlling it via the medium of ‘censor’ and also initiated its use in their own favour. Therefore, the mechanism and practice of censorship is also an important tool in propagating certain ideas while denouncing some others.