Excelsior Correspondent
CHENNAI, Jan 6: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has called for blending the cinema entertainment with the aspirations of “New India”.
Addressing a galaxy of leading luminaries of South India Film Industry, including some of the well known film makers, directors and music composers from Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada cinema here, Dr Jitendra Singh recalled early years of his life spent in the city of Chennai when Devi Cinema Complex and Star Theatre were the cherished destinations for any youngster and said, gone are the days when a visit to a theatre to watch a movie was a festive occasion, planned several days in advance and thereafter recalled for several weeks to follow. Today, he said, even a child has a movie theatre in his pocket and can watch a movie of his choice with a mere touch on the screen of his smart mobile phone. It is precisely this segment of youngsters, who comprise over 70% of India’s population today, that the film maker will have to learn to relate to and act as torch- bearers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s incredible new initiatives aimed at involving the youth in the task of nation building, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh observed that a film with entertainment but without a message remains hollow, while a film with a message but no entertainment fails to attract the young audience for whom the message is meant. In this regard, he cited the distinct example of Satyajit Ray whose films optimally blended both these ingredients and specifically gave example of Ray’s “Pather Panchali”, a 1950’s production, which till this day attracts house-full during every re-run.
Pointing out in the audience to the grandson of AVM, the producer of several popular Hindi films of yester-years, Dr Jitendra Singh said, there was a time when even the Bombay Film Industry was dominated by South Indian Film Houses like AVM, Gemini and LV Prasad. The South Indian Film Industry, therefore, owes it to its legacy to assume a pan-India role and become messengers of Prime Minister Modi’s “New India” mission, he said.
Responding to demands like constituting an Indian Film Commission and certain modifications in GST, Dr Jitendra Singh invited a delegation of Film Industry to New Delhi for a free-frank exchange of views on these issues.
The programme was jointly organized by “South India Film Chamber of Commerce” and “Bharat Niti”. BJP State President Tamilisai Soundararajan was also present on the occasion.
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