It is a paradox from which we have learned little. The world of films stands for glamour, stardom, wealth and happiness. And yet, it is also a scarred world with deeply troubling stories of pain, abuse and unhappiness. In this sense, it is also a world that has much in common with the ‘ordinary’ outside world. The recent case of Harvey Weinstein is a case in point. There are countless stories of sexual exploitation from the film industry in Mumbai, Chennai or elsewhere.
Yet there is a difference. I am sure the Weinstein saga will now be turned into a blockbuster Hollywood movie. It may even be financed by one of the film companies managed by his brother and himself. And this has always been unique about Hollywood: its capacity to make engaging mainstream films about the flaws not only in society but also within the industry.
Ideal bookends
The Weinstein episode was sandwiched for me between watching two films: Newton and Marshall . Both these films were very entertaining and enjoyable and re-emphasised the importance of films.
And these two films were ideal bookends for the Weinstein episode because they are both about fighting unjust systems.
Newton made it possible to utter the word ‘Naxals’ in public at a time when self-appointed guardians of the nation were making it impossible to do so. The movie was extremely brave in showing what it did. It was a sharp critique of the democratic process and the state, but also a reflection on the innocence of truth.
Hollywood has always produced movies that have been critical and suspicious of power structures. There have been big budget films with well-known stars where the highest powers in the country including the president, powerful politicians, or heads of intelligence organisations misuse their power and eventually get caught.
Marshall belongs to the other end of the spectrum. It is the story of an inspiring man who fought entrenched racism.
In a society that seems to have revived certain images of racism today, this movie reminds us of the power of individual resistance.
Nothing from India?
The bankruptcy of Indian mainstream films lies in the dearth of films that engage with the evils of a system. How many films have been about women, or about Dalit or Muslim leaders who have catalysed positive change? How many films can engagingly show the importance of teachers in government schools who have inspired their students? India is filled with thousands of such changemakers and the media, the literary field and films seem to be oblivious of them.
Why are these films important? They are not important as historical records or as documentaries alone. It is really the function of art, and particularly films, to have an imagination of the future, to literally show us the future. And the future cannot be imagined and seen unless there is a critical reflection on the present and the past.
This is what many Hollywood films do, not only with social problems but also in their imagining of a technological future. Even when they are part of a technologically saturated society, many of their films are a devastating critique about technology’s uncontrolled power.
The fact that we don’t make such films is not a matter of finance alone. We haven’t come to such critical reflections in literature, art or and even academics.
Sundar Sarukkai is a professor of philosophy at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.
