One of the debatable issues in cinemas and movies is whether the interests of the masses dictate the movies or the movies dictate the masses. To make it clear are the movies made to satiate the interests of the people or the movies dictate what type of appetite an audience should possess. This question obviously requires an analysis of the entire history of cinema, but let’s not delve into a derivation rather take a silent ponderance into the current reflections. 

As I turn back and look at the craze, I had to watch some movies, it is embarrassing. However, I never understood the anxiety in catching the first day first show and the social boasting that follows. The fact that movies of some stars are a festival than a mere movie especially in India is truly breath taking. And also, how some “message” given in movies remain only in movies than in the practice is highly contrasting to frenzy of the movie itself. I cannot fathom how this complex web makes sense to any third person or any person for that matters. 

We could match some dots, the practice of releasing the movie on festivals, connecting recreation with movies, and so on. The movies are not just movies, but a celebration of a kind which rarely leaves a lasting impact. The cliches of movies with mega stars are becoming unbearable, but the emerging and the fading generations are the one to blame and also the busy lives. The black and white movies in India had much crazier fandom than now, the example of stars becoming powerful legislatures in the country is a perfect example. So, what we could infer (at least me) is a debate or a nominal fact. The debate being, whether the stars satisfied all the taste buds of the audience or just fulfilled the expectations of the expecting audience. The nominal fact, on the other hand, reflects capturing the hearts of the audience rather than the minds is a sure shot ticket to the political arena. 

There could be an explanation referring how the mega stars movies are just a momentary joy and the unique tolerance to mass scenes just to forget our lives for few hours and experience the flavour of Indian cinema. But the point that it misses is how the stars are trapped in the very idea such as this that we are losing some real performance. And we ourselves condemn us to the same cliches than experiencing the unique offerings of the art. Some directors really do blend the art and the expected awe and are doing a great job. But the cliches have to go to produce something what we call a good movie that connects both at mind and the heart. The plea is for a rational and emotional movie than superficial exhibitions. Thankfully the exposure to western cinema and series in OTT platforms have revealed the hidden dimension of the immortal art. The views and expectations are indeed changing.

 The story should aspire and starve for the right performer than tailoring the script to suit the public image of the actor. A performer engaged with creativity needs an empty canvas to show what he or she is capable of. A template of a canvas does not make justice to the art. Systemic changes should lead the industry and eventually people do follow. I pray for change in flavour than in the quality. Mind you I do not ask for the new liberal ideas that break taboos. All I ask for is the real potential of the art which rarely visits us. The cliches that are woven around the visual story define the intangibles of the collective cinematic universe. The intangible if measured qualitatively will surely deliver movies that may not win the competition among them but will surely win the hearts of the dynamic audience