Raanjhanaa director: Avoid cashing in on burning issues

If a director wants to make a film on a burning issue,a lot of things have to be kept in mind before going ahead with an announcement. We must understand that an act of violence affects several people and their psyche. They are already going through an emotional upheaval,and replicating such an incident on celluloid for one’s personal gain,won’t be fair. It is important to allow the victims to move on in life,instead of haunting them again with those sickening visuals. You are not giving anything to the audience by offering such a film. People have already suffered a lot due to the incident,so why would you want to add to the trauma?

If anyone thinks that making a film on sensitive subjects will grab eyeballs,buyers and ultimately make lots of money; then they are completely wrong. You just need to look at the past,none of the films made with such an intention have made it big or received accolades. The assumption that films based on such issues can help you earn money is just an illusion. Cinema is a medium where the details of a story is developed on a larger scale. Back in time,issues like untouchability and casteism were huge,but a film like Sujata managed to present it neatly,without glorifying the issue.

Many believe that films showing incidents of rape or terror may lead to more such crimes. It’s always been a debatable issue,where people ask if society acts according to cinema or vice versa. I won’t deny that people do get affected by films and hence,it is important for film-makers to act responsibly and think twice before dealing with such subjects. Ultimately,some continue to believe that pain sells like hot-cakes and to that I can only say —think about the consequences before you act.

As told to Priya Adivarekar