Positive impact in the beginning
(Source-getty images)
In social panorama of India, the impact of cinema as a “colloquial-visuals” upon people from the very beginning is apparently enormous. With the release of first ever “sound movie” (with articulate voice), that was titled, ‘Alam Aara.’ The year of of release was 1931 and onward, this impact is worth taking notice as a whole. Besides, the impact of written contents of Indian literature upon the mind of people, too is subject to a debate.
The cinema with the inception of its first inning, seems to inscribe its ‘general impact’ as the stupendous means of conveying messages. In fact, ‘message’ here connotes in the sense of positive aspect. Prior to the era pf independence of India and after the independence, up to some two initial decades, the impact of cinema in a positive way seems worth noticing.
Exploiting the sentiments
But if we look into the matter prudently, it comes up, cinema makers toyed with an astuteness, with public sentiments. This demeanor was applied with scrupulous dexterity, with an intent to en cash the public sentiments. In fact, sole object behind was the money minting. It is rightly assumed that every genre of ‘arts’ is supposed to promote the positive aspects of life. But majorly cinema has always been in the category of conveying “not so positive aspects.” Rather it conveyed, somewhat negative aspects , in people’s mind. The impact of cinema on the mind of onward generations has been in shape of instilling them for ” waywardness, degeneration and degradation of social values and norms”. All these vices been introduced by cinema into the mind of people.
Indelible imprint of literature
Just contrary to the cinematic impact, whatsoever, literature in shape of written contents got penned down or delivered. Whether, in print form, be it prose, verse, essays or drama had been efficacious, in delivering some indelible positive impact, upon the mind of people. The literature ( not counting pulp fiction or obscene materials) composed contemporary to the cinema, has rightly been cogent in agitating and vibrating the mind of people conspicuously. The same old time written creation, be that of Pre independence or post independence era, still produce an efficacious impact. Although, the percentage of people who peruse such literature is hardly counts to 20%. But this fact can’t be ignored, the reformers, social activists, pedagogues, political leaders and the harbingers of social awakening, all they are the products of this 20% chunk. The chunk who peruse and ponder over the literary contents of their own choice.
Patriotic and art cinema
These 20% are people who in true sense lend their hands in making of “new India.” Again back to the reader ship of “pulp fiction or obscene materials”. They too have a closer affinity to the rest of 80% people as the cinema preferring people. Now it can be argued that almost each and every one visits cinema hall to watch the movie, inclusive of the 20% sagacious readers of literature. True! This 20% go there for sheer purpose of entertainment and when come out of cinema hall, they leave behind every dirt and filth there only. This they ably do by the effect of perusing good literature, which enable them to get rid of bad impact of cinema.
Every genre of art has got three phases of existential effects. Namely 1- ephemeral, 2- transient and 3- permanent or indelible imprint. The cinema widely has got the ephemeral effect in positive aspect, though the long lasting effect with negativity is sustainable. In between this journey of cinema, some hopes were generated by the “art movies or realistic cinema” but that too died untimely. Although, the cogency of some patriotic movies too can not be ruled out, not only this, some good movies too registered their permanent stand but they were too heavily supported by the literary themes, that, too can not be ignored. Meanwhile the literature or ‘meaningful written contents’ survive with an effect from ‘ transient to permanent phase.’
Now you take this comparison from an another angle. You take in hand the syllabus of schools from primary standard up to the Junior high school standard. Hardly you find any chapter related to the meaningful contribution of cinema to the society. No any name of some distinguished hero, heroin or film maker generally find a place there in a prominent form as an icon. But on the other hand, every such syllabus is fraught with depiction of life history of eminent prose writers, poets or drama writers and their contribution to the society. Though some chapter may exist there about the techniques of film making from the technical point of view only. Penned by–Vinay Pharasi…..
