A Huge Crowd Attends Engaging Discussion on Society and Cinema at Raipur Literature Festival

In Short

*Renowned film director Anurag Basu and Chanakya serial producer, director and actor Chandraprakash Dwivedi participated

*People take risks to make socially relevant films: Director Anurag Basu

*The criteria for watching cinema have changed: Producer-Director -actor Chandraprakash Dwivedi

Raipur: A large number of listeners gathered at the Anirudh Nirav Auditorium to attend a discussion focused on the theme of society and cinema, held as part of the Raipur Literature Festival.

The discussion featured renowned Hindi film writer-director Anurag Basu, historian-screenwriter and producer, director and actor Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi, and film writer Anant Vijay. The discussion was moderated by well-known Chhattisgarh writer-director Manoj Verma.

Participating in the discussion, Hindi film director Anurag Basu described cinema as a tool that can shape a flawed society. He said that people take risks to make such films. If we expect social relevance from cinema, then many writers and directors are still fulfilling this responsibility today.

Anurag Basu said that the same number of films are being made today as in the 1990s, and in fact, the number of films is even higher now. Today, cinema has more technology, but the stories remain the same. Now, new stories are emerging, and films are being made on new subjects. If we call a film made by a writer-director good or bad, it is our personal opinion, because they have made the film with complete honesty, and according to them, the film is well-made.

Basu further added that whenever we talk about films, the matter of likes and dislikes automatically comes up. He described films as an essential part of society.

During his address at the discussion, Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi said that today there is more talk about whether a film is a hit or a flop. The criteria for watching cinema have changed. Cinema no longer has a social conscience. Cinema will only address your questions if it stands to gain significantly from doing so. The era of cinema is changing.
Dwivedi said that you cannot make a film like Chanakya today. The level of Hindi used in Hindi cinema is a major challenge. Everyone talks about simplifying cinema, and English words are being used in Hindi films. Drawing from his own experience, he explained that biographies are only being made about people from whom significant profits can be derived.

He mentioned the Upanishad Ganga series, stating that it involves very serious work, while Chanakya reflects the realities of that time.

In this session, film writer Anant Vijay said that cinema is not an elite medium. Discussions don’t happen until we watch the film. Nowadays, people don’t watch films; they only discuss them. Scientific reasoning is not sought in matters of love. People connect emotionally with the stories and characters of films. This emotional connection determines the commercial and social value of films, Anant Vijay added .