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Shyam Benegal visits IIM Calcutta The lecture then dwelled upon the historical roots of modernity and the virtues and thoughts associated with modernity - liberty, equality, fraternity, rationality, democracy, nationalism and secularism. He described the Modernity project which in India spread its wings through the Bengal Renaissance and the many proponents like Raja Ram Mohan Ray. Tagore was the most influential thinker of this period and he often lamented about the need to have a modern form of expression beyond cinema. The Modernity project in Indian cinema began very late, in the 30's and 40's, but cinema failed in its cause of expelling latent traditional social problems. In the fast growing diaspora of South Asia's patriarchal society, traditional value continued in cinema with the rights of the family over the rights of the individual, a far cry from the liberalist, universal human rights philosophy. Rather, most of the dominant social problems of the times were attributed as characteristics of the villain, who was then adequately punished by the hero, an oversimplified solution to the problem! The director then classified the period of Satyajit Ray as a landmark epoch when modern sensibilities were independently portrayed by a director who understood the language and vocabulary of modernity. He brought out a genuine aesthetic which was drawn from the traditional but with a modern, socialistic, liberal viewpoint. Ray's films were not necessarily entertaining, but they were engaging in attention and stimulated the audience to think. This was a rebellion against the rigidity of form in conventional cinema, which used to be till then, a narrative or dramatic unfolding of events. The 80's saw the tradition of making cinema suited to diverse sensibilities, continue with the work of Mr. Benegal and his contemporaries like Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen. It was a difficult choice to make in the 80's as a novice director, Mr. Benegal remarked, to avoid the hegemonistic influence of Bollywood in controlling the discourse and form of films. Modern sensibilities still did not make for the recipe of popular cinema as modernity had not really seeped into the society which continued to be largely upholding traditional values. The period of Post Modernism accepts that reaching the social goals set in the modernity project is an unachievable Utopia. This period sees the all pervading influence of mass media which dominates and directs popular culture. "Greed is good" is the motivational statement of this era and the moral distinction of notoriety and fame are slowly disappearing. Post industrial nations see the emergence of consumption slaves who, unable to identify their own needs, turn to the media for help. Indian cinema, Mr. Benegal observed, has taken a leap into Post Modernity without having to deal with the uncomfortable problems of modernity. Contributed by - |
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