Cinema and Culture – English – UGC NET – Notes

Introduction

• We are all familiar with cinema. We have seen films. We love movies. But before we begin to understand the ideas in this Unit, we need to understand the difference between the two, that is the difference between film and cinema. By the word film we mean the medium on which the moving picture camera records moving images. Whereas, by cinema we mean ‘a place where films are shown, or the production of films as an art or industry’ (Hawker, 2012, p. 114). Generally, it means the entire film industry such as the Indian cinema or the American cinema. 

Film Making as Business and Art

• Cinema is a cultural, economic and social institution. Film making is an art; it is also business and also an industry. People use cinema as a form of entertainment. But they also find employment in it. Film making doesn’t only involve film stars; it also requires technicians who are familiar with the art of film making. India is the world’s largest producer of films. Indians make more than 1500–2000 films every year in close to 20 languages. But let us not confuse Indian cinema with Hindi cinema. There is much more to Indian cinema than just Hindi films. One of the greatest film makers of all times, Satyajit Ray made films mostly in the Bengali language. Indian Cinema refers to all the films that are made in all the languages in India. Whereas, Hindi cinema generally refers to films made in the Indian city of Mumbai where films are produced principally in the Hindi language.
• In India films are made in many languages. Making films is a costly proposition. Story and screenplay need to be written. Actors, equipment and technicians need to be hired, and sets need to be designed and created. Film-making moves through three principal stages. In the pre-production stage, the story idea is developed into a screenplay. A screenplay is different from a story although it is based on the story itself. Screenplay is a visual outline of what the camera will need to capture on the film. It tells us how the sequences of the films are to be placed. It is a set of instructions to the person handling the camera and provides details about the placement of the camera and the type of shot that needs to be recorded. Similarly, dialogues are to be written before the shooting commences. Songs’ lyrics are to be written and recorded before the shooting of the film starts.
• During the production stage, the actual shooting of the film takes place. This is the stage where the actors are engaged and perform for the camera’s eye. In the post-production stage, editing and dubbing are carried out and the film trailers are prepared to make the film ready for release in theatres and multiplexes across the country. A film may not be released simultaneously across all the theatres in the country, as this will entail making copies of the film and distributing it to all the concerned theatre owners at once. This will add to the production costs. Rather, films are released in a staggered way, that is, a film might be released first in the major cities and then will make its way into smaller cities and towns.
• But as an art, the cinema business is unique, in the sense that it requires pre-approval for public exhibition. That is, there is a government body to approve the public exhibition of films. This is not so for other arts such as a painting exhibition or a cultural programme featuring songs and dance. Film exhibition in India is governed by the Cinematograph Act 1952. However, in 1969, the Government of India set up the Khosla Committee to deal with inquiry into existing procedure for certifying films for public exhibition and other related matters. In the K.A. Abbas vs The Union of India [AIR 1971 SC 481] case dealing with the question of censorship of films, the Supreme Court held that a motion-picture is able to stir up emotions more deeply than any other product of art. So, for this reason, films are dealt with differently from other forms of art and expression.