Reel rattle
|
A majority of students opine that depiction of students and lecturers in films is not in tune with the reality. They feel movies do more harm than good to the student community, writes M.L. Melly Maitreyi
|
FOR A movie buff how does the college life come across? It is students bunking classes, breaking into dances and romancing all the time. For boys it is flexing muscles, sporting weirdest hairstyle and for girls, turning out in skimpy clothes and loads of make-up. And lecturers? They are invariably shown as comic characters. If not all, a majority of films do stick to the pattern.
If out of touch with the real life students, one may tend to bemoan the frivolous and callous attitude of student fraternity, going by the images fed through the soaps on television and scores of films. But then how do the college students react to such stereotyped portrayal?
The depiction of student fraternity in the reel life is a far cry from the real life. Bordering often on absurdity, bizarre, the student life as depicted in Bollywood and Tollywood is at best to be dismissed as an exaggeration, is what many students say.
College campus is definitely not an extended centre of entertainment. Neither romance is the all and end-all of college life nor is lampooning the lecturers. But yes there are aberrations that normally get generalised in movies, they say.
"No doubt we play pranks on each other, sometimes indulge in light-hearted conversations with our lecturers, but that is all," say Roma and Prabhjyot of Villa Marie. "The films should show what students actually do and not something which is figment of their imagination. Love and romance do not actually happen in colleges," they say and so do several others.
Contrary to their portrayal in films, college girls and boys refreshingly come across as mature, logical, focussed and fun-loving young individuals who know their priorities in life.
Tejaswi, a Mass Communication student of St. Francis College says: "College campus is definitely not an extended centre of recreation. Films like `Main Hoon na' where college girls and boys breaking into a jig at the drop of a hat on the campus itself is bizarre. We certainly do not relate to such scenes. On the other hand a film like `Lakshya' showing a 24-year-old yuppy talking about his goal that does him good in his life too can be inspiring."
The students are unanimous in disapproving the portrayal of lecturers in poor light. Lecturers are not made fun of as shown in the movies. The scene in the film where they show a teacher letting out a spray of saliva the minute he opens his mouth or a student wooing his lecturer are ridiculous to the core. There is a fun element in college life but we also share a rapport with lecturers and respect them, she says.
She also says mushy mushy romantic films are for people who probably have nothing to do nor have an aim in life. She singles out "Chitram." What the film is trying to tell? That teenagers can become pregnant and bring their kids to the examination hall?
Though films are not taken seriously most of the time, yet she admits such meaningless films may have a bad impact on those at an impressionable age. "There are many students who may be confused and at cross roads. In such a scenario, films should try to give a direction and not let them indulge in wild fantasy. Friendship between girls and boys is a part of college life but it is not the aim with which youngsters come to colleges. One can meet a guy outside the college too.
Another scene commonly depicted in films is high emotional quotient of students. Says Deepa, "there is undoubtedly a sense of emotion attached to one's college. But none sheds buckets of tears when it is time to leave. No emotional baggage please. And violence rarely happens with elections banned in most of colleges. Such scenes are also rare on university campuses. College students are not obsessed with sex as they show in films," adds Tejaswi.
Madhavi of St.Francis says it is totally a different portrayal of student life in films. Youth have serious goals in life. "We do indulge in fun but not something outrageous." Sailu says movies are not reality. Even in metros like Mumbai, the college life is decent unlike in films. The student lingo is to some extent captured in films, she adds. And girls in minis and micro minis are a rarity.
Meenakshi, a B.Sc student of Government College for Women, Begumpet, picks on movies like `Nuvvu Nenu', `Mohabbatein' for showing the college students in such a poor light, skimpily dressed and as if the whole purpose of college life is to fall in love. Her friend Neeraja recalls movie `Shiva' and says the kind of violence shown is far from reality.
Sudha, Sandhya and Nandini of Vanitha Mahavidyalaya say a decent dress code is observed in many colleges. There is nothing wrong in following latest fashion and styles, inspired by films. "Students wear what they are comfortable with.
After all they just don't land in college straight from home. Students who commute by public transport are more conscious of their dress sense," they say.
Sandhya says they share excellent rapport with their lecturers. "We respect them for their knowledge and wisdom. They are our friends, philosophers and guides."
She and Nandini say: "One should not be influenced by characters with negative shades in films. A movie is something to be watched and forgotten about. Life is for real. If there is some thing good, pick up or just forget it," is their philosophy.
Sudha says she has never been to a film theatre. A rare exception indeed. Busy with her B.Com and CA articles, she says: "I hardly get time. This is the time to be focussed. I certainly do not want to waste time on absurd films."
Rishi Kapur, Sravan, Md.Asif of Nizam College say films are for pure entertainment and why take them seriously. But Rishi admits they do pick up latest fashion and style from movies. Sailendra and Vimal say they are not movie buffs. "We prefer hanging out on the campus rather than waste time in a cinema hall." Their idols are not from celluloid but from sports arena.
Why then films like `Nuvvu Nenu', `Boys', are popular? "That only goes to show that there are many fools who can waste time on movies.
But it is wrong to assume that even they approve of what is shown in films," pat comes the reply. Vimal prefers watching National Geograpic channel. Surely, is he not saying it for public consumption? "I swear," he says in all seriousness. For Sailender it is meditation that is a nice diversion.
How about wooing girls, an all-out activity of filmi students? "No way, there are no lovey-dovey couples in our college at least.
We are just friends. Nothing more nothing less," they say in unison.
Siddharth and Md.Ibrahim Khan of Aliya Junior College say they don't take films seriously. "They are for fun but far away from reality."
Jhansi, Reader, Botany Department of Government College for Women, objects to the kind of songs that make fun of some subjects and lecturers. She quotes the song "Botany class ante boru boru" and terms showing lecturers as comic characters is unfortunate.
Padmavathi, statistics lecturer, says though movies do reflect society to some extent, they tend to project rare occurrences and generalise them. "As films are effective mass media which do influence people, I feel some self- imposed restraint should be exercised by film makers. They can dramatise but not alter reality.
By doing so they may unwittingly contribute to making `Manohars'.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Education Plus
Karnataka
Chennai
Hyderabad
