Javed Akhtar: Society's mental health fuels demand for vulgar cinema

Javed Akhtar on society's mental health in cinema News Update on SerialBoosters.com 

Veteran screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar recently gave a powerful address at the Anantrang Mental Health Cultural Festival, where he connected the rising popularity of hypermasculine, aggressive films to the mental health of men in society.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the festival, Akhtar strongly argued that the audience, not filmmakers, is ultimately responsible for the cinematic trends we see. He stated that it's a "bad audience that makes a bad film successful."

He noted his disappointment that regulatory bodies often clear movies featuring vulgarity or those promoting "a male chauvinistic view that humiliates women," while films that try to "show the mirror to society" often face hurdles. Akhtar described a film as a "window into society," but closing that window won't change the problems happening outside.

The core of his argument focused on the mental state of men. Akhtar suggested that the trend of hypermasculine cinema is a direct reflection of the "mental health of men." He believes that if the mental health of men improves, such aggressive films would either stop being made or, even if they were, they would fail at the box office because the audience wouldn't support them. This places the onus for change squarely on societal values and acceptance.

Beyond criticism of mainstream cinema, Akhtar also spoke about the role of art in dealing with emotions. He said that good literature creates empathy by exposing readers to diverse characters and situations, which helps them understand others better.

Addressing the question of whether sad songs or poetry can worsen mental health, Akhtar offered a valuable perspective: it's essential to acknowledge sadness. He warned that it's "unhealthy" to deny or disown sorrow, suggesting that repressing such feelings will only cause problems elsewhere in the mind. The key is to accept and process sadness, not pretend it doesn't exist.

The conversation that Akhtar led at the festival was part of an effort to shift the mental health dialogue in India from a purely clinical topic to a cultural priority. To know such latest updates, stay tuned to serialboosters.com Thank you!