Editorial
National film awards
Let recognition to good cinema encourage others
We must congratulate the jury members of the National Film Awards for appreciating good cinema, better cinema at a time when the film industry has been going through a rough patch. As recent as few weeks ago, the film industry was divided over the quality or standard of movies that are being churned out every week. One group blamed the other for the sorry state of affairs in the industry. But one important thing that both the sides seemed to have overlooked was the reason for the sorry state. Going to the theatres had always been a favourite pastime for all -- lower class, middle class and upper class alike. But not any more, at least for the middle class. The upper class lost interest long ago with the invasion of video and cable television. It wasn't really so bad until five years ago when suddenly a wave of technically bad low budget mainstream movies with vulgar dances, lewd dialogues and unbelievable action sequences swamped the theatres. And the lower class with no other option for recreation thronged to watch those lurid movies and encouraged by the box office success, producers were even more enthusiastic to make similar type of films. But recently those films have been crashing at the box office proving the adage that bad things never last for long. And now the national awards to the meaningful cinema as well as commercial business by some of such movies should be enough for them to realise that their days are over. Though the national awards itself has not been spared from controversies, but nevertheless patronisation and recognition at the highest level would be a big boost for the makers of good cinema and technicians. Such recognition may not be welcome for the makers of the recent commercial movies, but we can only hope they will wake up to the realisation that film-making is not only about making money, it's also about providing wholesome entertainment to the people.
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