Blockbusters and Murders

Some time back I was in a debate on the impact of movies on our society, their scope of use. There were numerous arguments, the typical fare – source of entertainment, they can make education more knowledgeable , they can act as a source of educating the unlettered etc etc. There was a single argument that really struck me, made me think. A girl said that movies like Rang De Basanti made our society more interested in national affairs and more concerned. She cited the example of the protests that erupted to get justice for Jessica Lal. We celebrate the punishments of Manu Sharma and Vikas Yadav as beacons of our impartial and independent judiciary, the achievements of our vigilant society.

It is somewhat true. Movies are big in India. They impact people in a big way. But, I’m not sure if this is such a good thing. Some might say that we need all the help we need, but shouldn’t we first find the reasons why our patriotism is so desperate. Do we need movies to rekindle the spark of patriotism ? When film stars inspire a nation into patriotic vigour rather than the struggles of our freedom fight, the dismal state of our country and the death of the nation we dreamt of then it’s a bad sign. It’s sad that it takes movies like Border, LoC and Lakshya to remind us of our soldiers rather when their bodies come home mutilated by Pakistan, when their families beg our Government for the pittance that was promised to them, when the veterans take to streets to demand their pensions or when with their misty eyes they tell their kids to stay away from the olive green, the starch white or the sky blue. It’s sad if it takes ‘Chak De…’ to remind us of the way sports in India is treated. People took to the streets for Jessica Lal because they saw it in RDB, they took to streets in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore but not in villages across India. How many farmers and labourers took to the streets or SMSed their outrage ? So, I ask myself was it just fashionable and chic ? Is our society just these four cities and a bunch of others ? Do we want this kind of ‘knee-jerk’ patriotism ? If it gets kicked in by a movie, then it’ll probably get kicked out the same way too.

Movies can inspire. No doubt about it, but it isn’t right to simply celebrate the ‘awakening’ of the people. It is imperative that we as a people look for reasons which have resulted in this state of affairs. Otherwise, there will be plenty of these flash in the pan moments, plenty of these harangues and plenty more awakenings.

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