Cinema, since its inception, is a powerful medium of entertainment, expression and a form of mass communication. The motion picture industry has evolved so much over time and now stands as a massive global entity which significantly impacts the society. The statement the cinema is the most influentials mediums is very true but not because of the economic scale of the industry but because of its distinctive capacity to connect with the audience. Cinema possess an exceptional ability to overcome reality through its powerful form of entertainment with visual and auditory experiences. Its influence is not just by the stories it tells but by its scale of entertainment that distributes these stories which makes it an influential structure in our society. It is a powerful engine that shapes and reflects the society’s values.

Cinema often blurs the line between fiction and reality as it portrays and addresses culture, politics, lifestyle, issues and our own experiences from this world as an individual. It operates on a psychological level because of how it shows stories through its powerful visual medium. We have movies that are made to portray different aspects of the society, some for social awareness and reaching messages to the public and most are made for commercial entertainment purposes. These different stories help audience get transported into a different realm of entertainment. Since stories are shown and created because of the world around us, it definitely becomes one of the most influential mediums.

A successful film has the power to export culture, religion, political ideas, social norms and different aesthetic styles to all parts of the world. In most cases, it can inspire social movements, understanding race, culture, language and ethics, and set trends related to fashion, music, lifestyle and even vocabulary. It can popularize new ways of thinking which inadvertently impact the society and its shaping. A lot of change in our society has come through the communicative means of cinema over the years through powerful storytelling. I love cinema and view this medium to be a great invention in time and a colossal to the world of art but can the power of cinema also be harmful to the society?

Setting aside the commercial aspects of cinema and its power to entertain, there are so many stories that filmmakers show which portray negativity. There are stories that criticize culture, reinforce stereotypes, false narratives on politics and the economy, glamorize negative behaviors such as crime, drugs and violence and also give unrealistic expectations. Stories which include such negativity can influence negative effects to impressionable audiences. Should the film industry be held responsible? In a way, yes, it has significant responsibility but to what extent? Filmmakers should choose to consider on how they want to show the narratives of their stories. They need to be aware on the message they want to convey and how they might have potential influences to the society. They need to make sure to provide clarity in what they want to project but I also feel that they should have the responsibility to educate their audiences that if they are creating films that influence any sort of negativity, they should be able to accept that it is just storytelling on an imaginative narrative and nothing related to real life.

There is so much criticism for good films because they portray some sort of negativity that might impact the audience but I feel that if there are so many rules to follow, how will stories be made? I agree filmmakers have to adhere to social responsibility but I also feel that cinema, being a medium of art, has to have the platform to tell different type of stories because otherwise there is no art or creativity being made and we will have to watch only a certain type of movies being made. There should be a balance and there should be better responsibility taken by the film industry to educate the audience. According to me, educating the audience is very important because they need to understand that filmmaking is a form of art and storytelling just like books and painting. They need to be told that events in a movie are fictional and unrealistic and is solely a story told for a purpose of entertainment. A lot of movies in the west make sure to use disclaimers but I feel the Indian film industry is lacking this awareness. I think the influence of cinema on society would be a better change if there was more awareness like having more disclaimers and taking responsibility regarding the events of films related to promotions and marketing. This could give a better understanding on the creativity of films and makes the audience understand the mere creation of storytelling and its creative process.