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Students have a date with Satyajit Ray

Cinema forum: Film critic I. Shanmughadas fielding questions from students at a programme organised by Rasmi Film Society in Malappuram on Wednesday.

MALAPPURAM: Do all films portraying vices like thefts and murders influence and instigate society to commit similar crimes?

This question fielded by a Plus Two student during a screening of Satyajit Ray’s celebrated debut movie Pather Panchali here on Wednesday sent the student crowds racking their mind.

It was District Superintendent of Police P. Vijayan who laid the foundation for around 600 students to raise such stuffy questions. Mr. Vijayan, during his inaugural speech in the morning, argued that films might inspire the criminals in a negative way.

Mr. Vijayan buttressed his argument with the fact that the gang that broke into South Malabar Gramin Bank (SMGB) at Chelembra and stole gold jewellery and cash to the tune of Rs.8 crore a few months ago had been inspired by the super-hit Bollywood film Dhoom. The fact that the biggest bank heist in the State’s history had such an indirect link to Bollywood was no new piece of information for the students.

If that is the case, can all films showing some form of crime incite the audiences to break the law? “Never,” came a resonant reply from film critic I. Shanmughadas. He was there among the students to lead a discussion on ‘film and studies’.

The students jostled one another to shoot their questions to Mr. Shanmughadas, who had authored the Plus Two lesson titled ‘Song of the Little Road’ on the basis of the acclaimed film Pather Panchali.

Mr. Shanmughadas had a specific answer to a specific question on the theft by a little girl in Pather Panchali. “The film (Pather Panchali) never glorifies or justifies the act of theft by the little girl. Instead, it is conveying the idea that theft is a crime that should be shunned by society and none was learned to have been inspired to make a theft after seeing that film,” he said.

He advised the students and the filmmakers as well that they be guided by the virtues portrayed in the films.

Thanks to the Rasmi Film Society, which screened the film as part of its 33rd anniversary celebrations, the students got a different experience watching a Ray film.

President of the Rasmi Film Society Manambur Rajanbabu presided over the function. General secretary Prakash Sreedhar welcomed the gathering. Vice-president M.A. Latheef proposed a vote of thanks.

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