10 films that created social awareness through the art of filmmaking

Cinema has always played an important role in enlistment of our social values and norms. IT made sure to attack the social evils and help society develop for its own good. With the capability of reaching the nook and corner to the masses of the country, cinema has the power to build and break trends. The films tend to influence the behavior and beliefs our society. There are many such films in the history of Indian cinema that made bold social statements to develop and change our society. 

For the current quarantine boredom, here is a list of must-watch movies that made a social statement against the evils –

1. Dor

 Dor is a cinematic representation of how the society view the widowed women, through the eyes of two women. It makes an important feminist statement without creating any ruckus about it and making its intention reach the audience.

2. Rang de Basanti

 

Rang de Basanti taught the new generation to question the power if anything wrong is being done. It narrates a story of few young students who take upon themselves to question the bureaucracy. It advises the society’s youth that they are the true power of any nation and how they are the future of the country. 

3. Padman

 

This film strived to break the social taboos that are associated with the menstruation. It explained the need of sanitary pads and how they ought to cheap and accessible to every girl and women in the country.

4. My brother Nikhil

 

This movie captures the reactions of a family and the society as one member of the family comes out and say he is suffering from Aids. This movie deals with the social stigma that revolves around AIDS and how the society blames the victims for the cause instead of sympathizing with him.

5. Damini

 

The film narrates the story of a woman who has to fight against the society to get justice. It questions the bitter, conservative norms and the patriarchy that affect women. It tells the story of a woman who goes against her family to get social justice for committing a heinous crime.

6. Article 15

 The film highlights the crimes and exploitations against lower castes people by the upper castes. It tells us about the evils of caste system that is prevalent in our society. It follows a crime investigation which leads to the rural mindset about caste discrimination.

7. Udaan

 

The film narrates the story of a coming of age boy who is exploring the world through his angst. It gives the narrative about how domestic violence affects a kid’s mental and physical behavior and how it permanently leaves a mark on the kid for life. 

8. Pink

 This powerful film directly questioned the mindset of the society that has created regarding women. It tried to break the social shackles that have been put upon females since years. It questions why the mindset is deteriorating day by day.

9. Peepli Live

 

This film is a satirical comedy talks about one of the gravest problems we are facing today. It talks about the farmers’ suicides and how each and every sector of the society reacts to it. This film keep forward various points about how only the new policies or schemes are not enough for the issue to be solved.  Right from the politician’s viewpoint to the media’s portrayal, it captures the lack of sympathy people have for this issue. 

10. Fandry

 

The film follows a lower caste guy who has fallen in love with a higher caste girl. The film captures the atrocities that the lower caste people have to face from the higher castes in rural areas. It exposes the mindset of the society that is against the lower caste leading to difficult life for the lower castes.