Mass Communication and Media Studies

Name: Ruchita Kankrecha   

Semester: 4

Paper: Mass communication and media Studies 

Department of English 

Roll No: 27

Topic: Cinema and Society 

Introduction: 

 “Of all the terms used by critics to characterise mainstream Indian cinema, realism defined in the negative or as a systematic absence has undoubtedly had the most currency. Conversely, the achievement of realism in a film becomes a mark of value, a sign of sincerity, the truthfulness on the part of the filmmaker of "authenticity" of the martial presented. " (S. Chakravarty 1993 : 80) 

Cinema is a reflection of society, both present as well as past. Cinema is a good vehicle for culture, education, modern social structures etc. It is said that, the prior or main function of cinema is to delight the audience or to entertain. But cinema is part of literature. Cinema is not just for entertainment but cinema represents our society. 

What kind of movie can be considered a good cinema. A good movie is one that shows the truth. The movie sometimes shows a very different society, which is better than our society, or even better for the society. But our society does not accept that. We must ask the question why society does not accept this new world or society. There are many systems in India that need to be changed and movies do that. But we are not ready to accept it. It is reachable to every part of society such as rural societies, metro cities, towns etc. Movies have power as well as a number of audiences. So, it is not difficult to spread social awareness such as education, political issues, class systems, caste system, human rights etc. Films are viewed as constituting interconnected projects dealing with the lives of the rural poor and also the exploited and oppressed number of this segment of Indian society. In cinema, there were three types of cinema. 

1. Documentary films – tend to focus on life and reality as it is, without giving wrong information. For example, The documentary of India 

2. Commercial films – main aim is to provide entertainment to the people. For example, Sholay film 

3. Parallel films – more realistic and relevant to the needs of people and society. For example, Article 15. People also do film criticism or film reviews. When you watch movies, you might find something which is true or relevant to your own society. After watching, you may give your own points 

The birth of film industry in India 

If we talk about Indian film industry then the pioneers of the industry were foreigners, The French Cinematographers came to India after proving their cinematic skills in Paris. The screening of the film took place on 7th July 1896 at the Watson Hotel in Mumbai and the price of the ticket was Rs.1/-. In 1896 the Lumiere brothers screened cinematography consisting of six short films Entry of Cinematograph, The sea Bath, Arrival of a Train, A demolition , Ladies and Soldiers on Wheels and Leaving the Factory in Bombay. Two short films made by save data in 1897, Indian’s first length silent film made in 1913 by the father of Indian cinema dada Saheb Phalke. 

India’s first talking film was Alam Ara made by Ardeshir Irani in 1931. Prahlada (Telugu) film and Kalidas (Tamil) film both are the first south Indian films released in 1931. Jumai Shasthi the first Bengoli talking film. Now, Indian people are crazy for talkies and it’s very popular in Indian. The first time use of sound technology in Indra and Devi Deviyani in 1930. 

Representation of educational system in Indian cinema 

India's education system is very different. As it is said that Cinema represents our real society. Cinema has shown the education system very well and Something that is real and something that needs to be changed. But are we ready to accept this new system that is good for society? As ‘Hindi Medium’ releases, we look at movies that have tackled the subject of India’s schooling systems. caste and class is also seen in education. If you are rich you will be provided with good and different facilities and if you are poor you will be looked at differently. This is exactly what happens in the education system and cinema represents this. Some decades ago, there was only one way in which knowledge can be gained and that was through books. Reading was also the primary source of entertainment and excitement for the educated classes. It was perhaps because both education and entertainment could come from the same sources that there was little resistance to reading books among students. 

Hichki: 

Classes are found in our society and especially in our education system. If you are rich you will be considered wise and if you are poor then everyone will understand that you are not wise and you are not educated. By saying all this, the people who want to study but they're poor will begin to think that it is true and we have no abilities. Hichki, as mentioned by Deccan Chronicle, “is a 2018 Indian Hindi drama film, directed by Sidharth P. Malhotra. It is an Indian adaptation of Brad Cohen's autobiography ``Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had.” (CHRONICLE) Naina Mathur is an aspiring teacher with a BEd and MSc who is unable to attain her dream job of becoming a teacher as she suffers from Tourette syndrome. But she gets one job in school. In the school there are one group of students or one class who belong to poor families. According to Ruchit Gupta “These kids are a part of the right to education initiative, thus landing up in an elite school where most kids and teachers have a hoity air of ‘high class’”. (Gupta) They started believing that we can not or may we have no right to get an education. The film is engaging, insightful and entertaining but given the premise it had more potential. In the movie, There are no bad students, only bad teachers. Sometimes it happens that the teacher is doing this class distinction to the student like in the movie there is one teacher who is doing this. It is not about class but about knowledge. From one side, it is said that all have the right to education and on the one hand It is also seen in which they belong. Is this what our education system is about? According to me, If you want to teach someone, then you should not look at their class in which they belong but you should look at their interest or their skills. Identify people not by their class but by their knowledge. 

Hindi medium

Hindi medium is the movie that presents the side of downtrodden. While the rich class suffered from admission in private school, this story is the side of the downtrodden, and how they are more humble than rich people. Poor people help in any situation, so rich people here portray themselves as arrogant and they pay fees in private school for good teachers. Poor people go to the government cotta for less fees or say free admission. They can't afford higher fees, hindi media proved the suffering of rich people and how the goodness of people are poor. 

The film in a way reinstates popularly held beliefs that virtues like honesty, sympathy and integrity are for the downtrodden while the rich are ruthless and tyrannical 

This argument presented one side view, If we loot at the larger mass of people than all are not same all are not rich or poor there are some rich and larger mass of people are poor, so If rich people can not build factories or company poor people are jobless. Nowadays we can face problems like joblessness, so for money poor people work in factories, so the question is there for youth because if they are not provided any jobs than where they go. If we talk about Virtues like honesty, sympathy and integrity, then we have to see both sides. Poor people have all this things because they haven’t any money they are work for money and for food, other side rich people invest their money in project or in company so that they can think about money, so after time goes and they have to think about money and than they can take decision, Virtues have both the side but money is the important part. So youth have to think like rich people, because they have to make important decision for future plans while worker think about 

monthly income. Another thing is that rich people can’t think about sleeping hungry, but poor people live in that situation, and they feel how it is bad to sleep hungry. Nowadays Youth can face problems like this. 

If we talk about the admission in schools than every parents should chose the reputable school. Because children can learn better things, like English medium school, parents are think about child’s bright future, and they chose that there child can learn from English medium. So conflicts have been presented in this movie like private schools, and government schools. Now children are portrayed by schools, like Private schools have the best teachers so they can learn better. Another presented the dull as government schools. All parents think about their child but because of money issues they go to the government school. Even it’s depend upon child ability that what kind of education they need. With the aspect of admission movie also tells about corruption in government also, like privet have large amount of fees but government teacher do corruption for admission, Now a days it’s a normal thing to do corruption. Now with this corruption what we aspects from youth, they can also learn the things and observe all the things that presented in India. . “:Films presented the reality in a funny way like a Novel. One side politician said corruption free India and another side Privately they do corruption.” (Jose, 2017) 

Taare Zameen Par 

"Every child has a different way to think... every child is a special and unique" 

The central point of the movie is Dyslexia and the issue of Dyslexia. The film discusses this point among parents, teachers, society and others. Film focused on One character (Ishan Nandkishor Awasthi) but the message applies to old children. Taare Zameen par is about a child who suffers from dyslexia, 8 years old boy who hates school and homework and fails in every exam. His classmates make fun of him. 

Super 30: 

Conflict between Rich or Poor: We can see the conflict between Rich and Poor. Anand belongs to Poor family and he loves one girl who is Rich. When Anand met her father, her father told him that getting Admission in IIT in Cambridge is good, but how do you reach there? So his point is that Poor can not go and take education because they have no money or passports to reach there. We can find another character Lallan Singh who is CEO of Excellence Coaching, he told Anand that you have to teach here and once Anand denied him. At that time he first forces him and he also tries to kill him. So we can see the power of Rich people on the poor. Education is a business: In our real society, we can see that if you want to join IIT then you have to join one good Coaching class. In one of the best seasons 'KOTA FACTORY,' We can observe this point that students want the admission in the famous coaching class and they want to study under the great teacher. So we can find many coaching classes in our society. So in the movie, I found the same thing. All students want to study if Anand Kumar comes. 

Impact of Cinema in society 

So, we can see how cinema represents our real society. In our real society we can see this kind of class in the education system. Youth is the future of our country. What they learn that reflection can present in the future, cinema reflects our true society, that exists today’s time, so cinema is part of our entertainment and also reflects reality of society. Cinema has a great impact on people but it is not just for entertainment because cinema can portray us with the new kind of influence of trends, and that can derive us in a new path. Class conflict is the major problem that we face with earlier time. Nowadays cinema can just highlight those things. 

Criticism on the parents and teacher 

Thai film satire on the teachers and parents who never understand their children. In our society parents always force their dreams and ambitions onto the shoulders of children and children never stand strongly against their parents dream and ambitions, end of the result children become successful. Parents should be very careful when they deal with their child. Every child has its own kills and dreams. the role of the parents is to find out the best quality from their child and then improve them with proper guidance. Another situation presented in this movie is that father of Ishaan, Nandkishor compares their children to each other. It shows the reality of our society, when Nandkishor starts comparing two brothers. abuse one child in front of others, creates many psychological problems for the child. S/he stops responding to others, never spends quality time with their parents. It stops personal development and that's very harmful for children. 

The role of the traditional teachers shows the reality of our society: students never clear their concepts and do their homework in fear of punishment. Traditional teachers always believe that each and every student is the same and all students have the same ability. Imagining that type of teachers teaches students in a traditional way than imagining the end of the result. 

Works Cited 

CHRONICLE, DECCAN. The makers of Rani Mukerji's Hichki rebuff the claim of plagiarism . 20 DEC 2017. WEB. 30 01 2020. <https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/bollywood/201217/hichki-is-a- brand-new-film-says-the-makers-of-rani-mukerjis-upcoming-movie.html>. 

Gupta, Rachit. HICHKI MOVIE REVIEW. 29 March 2018. WEB. 30 01 2020. <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie- reviews/hichki/movie-review/63428161.cms>. 

Jose, B. (2017, 05 20). What Irrfan Khan's Hindi Medium teaches us about