Key Points
- Revolution compared to a volcanic eruption of bottled emotions
- Cinema must entertain engage and stir emotions responsibly
- Time is described as the greatest teacher in societal change
Mumbai, March 14. The National Award-winning filmmaker Prakash Jha, who is known for his socially relevant and thought-provoking cinema, has shared his opinion on the relationship between society and revolution.
The filmmaker-producer spoke with IANS at his office in the Andheri West area of Mumbai, and shared that when oppression crosses a certain threshold, revolution becomes inevitable, and hits the existing systems like a trainwreck.
He told IANS, “Revolution is natural. It's natural. A volcano will erupt. Similarly, when an oppression takes place, a lot of things get bottled then they erupt. It's a natural process. We don't rise from our sleep. Revolutions keep smouldering slowly, when we can't handle the oppression anymore, it erupts like a volcano. Time is the greatest teacher, if we look at time or live through time, he teaches us everything”.
When asked what he considers as his responsibility to the medium of cinema and to the society at large, he said, “Well, we must understand the sensitivity of every dialogue that we try to convey, every image and every story. The idea is to entertain, the idea is to engage. The idea also is to be able to stir certain emotions”.
Revolution as a Natural Process
“If there is something that you could say, you try and say it, but always say it with sensitivity. You don't have to avoid people, you don't have to destabilize. So the idea is to constructively negotiate and say what you want to say. Keep it engaging, keep it interesting”, he added.
Earlier, the filmmaker had spoken up on the issue of smaller films losing out to big ticket entertainers in terms of screen sharing. He himself runs a multiplex in Jamshedpur, and it gives him clear insight about the ground realities of the theatre ecosystem in India. He said that there is enough space for every film, and every film has its own market.
The decision to skip the theatrical route and release content directly on OTT often results from the commerce involved in the theatrical release of the film.
Cinema's Role in Stirring Emotions
Looking ahead: Jha's upcoming films may further explore these themes of social oppression and revolutionary change in contemporary India.
–IANS
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