Role of Cinema in Life
Nobody can deny the fact that recreation is as important in life as work. All work and no play, makes life dull and boring. Life would lose its charm if there is no amusement in it. That is why recreation has always been an important part of human activity. Even in ancient days, games and sports, dancing and singing, dramatics and hunting, used to be the favourite pastimes that provided man with a welcome change in his dull and dry routine of work and labour. Fairs and festivals also serve the same purpose. In this age of science, the modern man has devised various machines to amuse and entertain himself. Cinema is the most modern and the most popular form of entertainment. It is an entertainment within the reach of all – the rich as well as the poor. In all seasons, in rain or sunshine, the cinema provides excellent amusement to the people. Crowds of people can be seen standing in queues in front of the booking windows at all times of the day. With the coming of the television and CDs, cinema has become a part of almost every home. It has become a part and parcel of life. Today we can live without food for a day but we cannot think of life without cinema.
The rich, as well as the poor, are fond of going to the pictures. Although the small silver screen is available in several houses, yet a majority of the people still like to go to the cinema houses to enjoy the movies on the big screen. Even in this age of rising prices, the taste of the cinema-going public has not been affected. They are as fond of it as before.
Cinema is a very useful and educative entertainment. We see the pictures of dams, factories, rails, roads, tractors and so many other things of interest on the motion-picture screen. We learn so many new things which enrich our mind with interesting details of new information. Cinema has thus an educational value. Besides, cinema is a means of advertisement. It gives us soul-stirring music that becomes the echo of our hearts. It is a cheap source of entertainment. In a poor country like India, it has got a great value.
There is hardly any aspect of human life which is outside the scope of the cinema. It has created a better understanding and goodwill among different countries by showing their social, economic and cultural life. It has brought people of different countries of the world nearer to one another. It presents a true picture of the human civilization. The cinema represents the mystery of human life and throws light on the inner secrets of the human life and heart.
But cinema also has lurking dangers in it. It has hit hard the labouring classes and the students. Undesirable cravings are harboured and evil company is allowed to breed. Eyesight, too, is affected and money squandered recklessly. Young boys and girls are, at times, led astray. Cheap films do a lot of damage to their morals. Their attention is focused on fashions and lust.
Great improvement and reforms can be brought into the film world. Development schemes should popularized. The teaching of some subjects such as Chemistry Biology, Physics and Engineering should e introduced. The evils of cinema should be denounced openly, Gross sex pictures should be banned. Shameless displays of love should be avoided. The Censor Boards should be strengthened. The overall influence of cinema on the youth in this country has not been good and wholesome.
