Reel heroes not so real
The film industry today is definitely making cinema that’s pretty close to reality, but how real is the character played by our actors today? With the six-pack abs and those stunning looks, do films today lack the ideal common man? Not just that, have the quality of songs and language also taken a beating? Lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar certainly believes it has. He was recently quoted saying, “Where’s realism in today’s films? Maybe yesteryear films were more dramatic in treatment, but they had more realism. They had a common man’s depiction the way the common man was, unlike today’s films. Today’s hero is hardly a working class man.”
Do the youth identify with the common man depicted on screen? Is common man not too real or too urban for the Indian audience?
Marketing professional Khalid says he can’t relate to movies anymore.
“Today’s movies are all about sex. Earlier romance was a part of movie, today it dominates a film. Movies have the liberty to take a slice of real life but let it be believable. Sadly, I cannot watch a single movie with my family as the way romance and sex is depicted is not acceptable in my home,” he says.
Then there are those who aren’t really convinced about the kind of songs made today. Photo journalist Ashish Sharma, says, “The quality of lyrics has indeed degraded, but movies have got real as previously they used to be centered on a single hero with superhuman abilities. But now, they’re realistic. I do agree that majority of the movies today are based on urban youth. Having said that, very few films focus on the rural youth.”
Open use of foul language, cheap lyrics is the norm. Utkarsha Sharma, movie buff says, “It appears as if society is not changing the industry, but film industry changing our society and putting us on the wrong track. Watch any movie and you will know. Movies may reflect the urban youth, but it can also depict realities. Movies in 60s and 70s had content and not useless inclusion of such lifestyle.”
Well how much can you relate to the character of Vidya in Dirty Picture? asks Prachi Joshi, an IT professional. “Movies today are meant to be enjoyed, who has the time to analyse them? If this is what todays audience wants, what can the filmmakers do?”
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