Can Cinema change our lives?

I haven't watched the latest movie Laghe Raho Munnabhai. But the reviews and discussions about this movie over the internet, news papers and TV channels have driven enough curiosity in my head. This movie particularly done something where no other movie never did. Perhaps the director would have never imagined the kind of impact he is getting now (hundreds of responses are pouring it seems after the movie release).


Couple of days back, I saw a video footage, where a group of medical students in Lucknow adopted Gandhigiri principles and they started to plant trees wearing Gandhian attire. This is what happened after the seeing this movie. I read in one newspaper that the numerologists and astrologer in mumbai are having difficult times, as this movie expressed on the superstitions. In one instance, according to this site, an old couple revoked their decision of seeing Vasthu for their
new home!!!!



The trend of this kind of moral preaching movies is in vogue perhaps. Our Tollywood too has something to offer through the Chiranjeevi's latest movie Stalin. There the philosophy is each one help three people. This movie too made some transformation like Sanjay Dutt's latest flick. Heard about some reviews like the people out of the theaters saying like our lives have been changed by this film. Of course, the Cinema, particular hero worship is much embedded in lives of people down the south than other parts in the country. The organizations like Stalin Chain, have been started by Chiru's fan clubs across Andhra Pradesh. This organization helps Orphaned poor children. It is transforming some lives. Very heartening to hear. Isn't it?

But I have one fundamental query. Whether this kind of change will have impact in long term. It just seems like ephemeral stories popping here and there in larger public domain. Why should we dictate our lives through cinema which is most of the time so unreal? Don't we have enough knowledge through our ancient wisdom or contemporary thinking to implement the transformation we would want?

The questions could be asked in these lines in 'n' number of ways. But where are the answers?? Only one thing is for sure, Cinema is very powerful medium (we have made it that way). I think it will have impact on our thoughts and actions in our day to day life. Its up to us, to find out how we would want cinema to be and how to use it in more constructive ways.