Do you think popular cinema has adversely affected folk culture of India? Critically comment. (200 Words)
Considering the magnitude of popularity, following, extensive reach, popular Indian cinema is the single most powerful media without any parallel. Such great power leads to aberrations, more often than not.
Adverse effects:
- Usually popular cinema holds and perpetuates social, gender, caste stereotypes. Aspects such as patriarchy are widely portrayed along with the helplessness of women leading to continuance of inequalities and social handicaps.
- A study found out that majority of Indian films have lead actors portraying upper caste roles and reflecting only high, middles class values.
- Popular art, dance forms have taken a hard beating and have almost died out. Only few which could modify and adopt themselves to the demands of trade sustained.
- Local dialects, languages, dress, dance of tribes and minor communities are usually neglected. Majoritarian-ism is thus encouraged. This is like cancer for the diversity of our country.
- Historical, religious subjects are sometimes mis-portrayed and wrongly interpreted leading to communal tensions.
- Today‘s youth follow Mindless westernization without depicted in Hollywood flicks
Bright Hope: While we have observed the down side of popular cinema, its own popularity and acceptability can usher positive changes too. Their immense power if used with social responsibility can break the very own stereotypes it creates and can be the most effective vehicle in eliminating gender, social inequalities, encourage diversity. Recent years have witnessed many such examples and expect more of them in the days to come and hope that Indian cinema would be a leading vehicle for social change.