Films and Cinemas

The categorisation of cinema into art cinema and commercial cinema was largely an offshoot of the emergence of the new movement in the seventies.

It is said by art-film directors in their defence that it is the inclusion of spicy elements that explains the success of commercial films. Their films, on the other hand, do not make use of sure-success formulas. They, however, preen themselves on their greater concern for social issues compared to the mainstream film-makers.

Nevertheless, the low success of such films makes one doubt their efficacy as vehicles of mass communication.

Ever since its inception, cinema has served as both a source of entertainment and of education for the masses. It is the entertainment value of cinema that makes it an effective tool for creating social awareness among the masses.

There are certainly no doubts regarding off beat cinema’s commitment to social reform, but it is generally observed that art films are marked by a slowness of pace. The story is presented in what is seen popularly as a boring and monotonous manner, often causing the audience to yawn through the length of the film.

In direct contrast, a commercial film proceeds at a brisk pace. Moreover it is marked by an interesting presentation of the story, which is often interspersed with elements like song, dance, comedy and action. All this makes it more receptive to the public.

The difference between art-cinema and commercial cinema, perhaps, lies in the fact that while    art-cinema administers the bitter pill to the public as it is, the commercial cinema administers the same bitter pill after coating it with a sweetener, thus making it more palatable. No wonder that while commercial films attract huge crowds to the cinema halls, the art-films are screened to sparse audiences.

It is the lack of the element of entertainment in art-cinema, more than anything else that accounts for its low popularity among the masses. Is not the primary purpose of cinema to entertain?

In a predominantly illiterate society like India, cinema is – for the bulk of its population – a source of relief after a hard day’s work. The off beat films, instead of relieving, further tax the mind of the viewer by bringing him face to face with the stark and unadulterated reality. Hence, with all its social relevance, the off-beat cinema manages to reach only a limited audience comprising mainly the educated, elite and intellectual sections of society.

Many a time the makers of such films have perforce to approach the government for help, by way of granting environment tax exemption to their films. In fact, several such movies are not able to see the light of day due to the reluctance of the distributors to put their money on them. Thus the very purpose for which these films are made stands defeated – if they do not reach the masses