April 1: In the new century, the idea of film-making in India has shifted from merely conventional melodrama to films addressing some core issues. Film makers now hesitate least and without caring market values. Box-office reports of films like Perzania, Black Friday, Water shows the acceptance of the changing trends by both the audience and the film makers.
Cinema for any region represents the society, its culture, economy and all that is associated with human institutions. Apart from entertainment, it plays a major role in transforming the structures and at the same time abiding to the root values. They change the perception of individuals; add new dimensions and perspective to the popularly conceived stories. Movies released of late are some how associated with the problems and concerns that are shared by the people. They tend to address certain issues which do not find enough space in other media. In India films produced fall into different categories depending on the regional audience for which they are primarily produced, language and the content of the film.
Film making in India started long before the independence, but during British rule the art and practice got refined and had a better turn with the invention and adoption of new technologies. The movies of 1960's and 70's addressed certain issues that revolved round the social and political scenario of that time. The content was not only about problems but films also contained humour and other emotional and psychological aspects of life. The cultural diversity of India further influenced various aspects and attributes of film making. The presence of cultural elements was inevitable. As time passed the tastes and preferences of the people also changed and that often marked a change in the conventional story plots.
So far as Indian audience is concerned, it offers a tremendous scope for all kinds of films including regional films. Bollywood, the Indian film industry, holds the credit of producing the largest number of movies in a year. Films between 80s and 90s came in different packages. The industry became sensational, sensual and added the glitz to the Bollywood creations. Producers started spending huge money for shooting in the foreign locations. Glamour took new strides in the Bollywood and celebrity became the buzzword. However, in recent times people are more aware of their choice of movies and so are the film makers. Though not all follow the pattern, but some professionals are rather serious about their work than money.
One can say that 80’s and early 90's were dark periods in Indian film making, as sensibility was least taken into account in the films. Producers used to be more worried about commercial failures and never dared to deal with real issues and making fine films out of them. Reality based films are not easy to make and to remain committed to the subject is real hard.
In the 21st century we watch some fine films based on real issues and there are directors who are not afraid to take controversial subjects without caring about commercial consequence. Perzania, Black Friday, Water, are some good examples of this so called ‘real cinema’. Perzania is based on a real story of a family and their sufferings in the Godhra riots. Black Friday is the realty behind Bombay blasts and Water throws light on our cultural taboo. Films like Rang De Basanti and Lage Raho Munna Bhai ideate revolutionary concepts and change our perception, waking us to stand against all odds in different ways.
The most important concern about real cinema at this time is to generate acceptance amid the audience for certain movies and as one can notice that is surely changing. Real cinema means more awareness and that is one essential component of democracy.
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