Cinema works like a charm and there are no two thoughts about it. You see, Indian cinema took a new turn after independence and one of the primary things it did was to talk about the issues of modern Independent India. We get movies like Mother India, Do Beegha Zameen, Do Ankhein Barah Haath and many more.
These films not only talk about common issues but also provide us with a moral spirit that will help us fight those problems.
More importantly, the heroes in the 50s were brave men who would not find stupid goons like they do now. They would fight against a system that was corrupt and immoral.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, recently talked about how Indian cinema has been a key part of keeping the country united, despite its many languages and cultures.
He explained that movies play an important role in promoting the idea of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ (One India, Great India) by sharing stories that reflect the country’s diversity and common future.
Take the case of Padmini or Vyjayanthimala. Both of them came from down south in the 1950s and made a big name for themselves. Actually, they were the original Pan-India stars who proved that language is no barrier at all in India.
He even quoted the famous filmmaker Satyajit Ray, who believed that cinema speaks a language everyone understands, no matter where they’re from. According to Mr Vaishnaw, films help connect people across regions and languages by making them feel the same emotions and experiences.
He pointed out that from old classics like Raj Kapoor’s Shree 420 to more recent movies like Mani Ratnam’s Roja, Indian films have touched audiences all over the country, regardless of the language spoken.
It’s great to know that there are people in the government who are promoting the art of cinema. Let’s see what he does to promote this art as well as industry.