The Indian Express ·
Arts, culture, entertainment and media
Prithviraj agrees cinema influences society but says films mirror current realities
Prithviraj, Kareena Kapoor and Meghna Gulzar discuss cinema’s influence on society, audience responsibility and why Daayra is relevant today.
Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kareena Kapoor Khan and filmmaker Meghna Gulzar, who are gearing up for the release of their upcoming film Daayra, discussed cinema’s influence on society at the 16th edition of The Indian Express series Expresso. The trio spoke about the responsibility of filmmakers, the role of audiences and how cinema often reflects the society it emerges from.
The conversation explored whether filmmakers should be held responsible for the impact their stories have on audiences. While Meghna said that cinema should not be viewed only through the lens of its negative influence, Prithviraj pointed out that films are also shaped by the realities around us.
‘When we depict the negative, we do it in order to try to fix it’
Meghna Gulzar questioned why cinema’s responsibility is often discussed only in the context of negative influences. She pointed out that films also portray family values, functional relationships and positive aspects of society.
“Why do we always have to look at everything in one dimension? If there is a responsibility on cinema to propagate certain things, then it is also the responsibility of the audience consuming that cinema to follow what the cinema is propagating. It is not like we only depict the malaise of society. We make a lot of films on the joint family system, family values and positive, functional relationships. Can we ensure that everybody imbibes that as well? Because we are constantly blamed for inspiring the negative. However, when we depict the negative, we do it in order to try to fix it rather than use it as an influence in any way.”