So, how many of you saw Rahul Dholakia’s Parzania? The film which revolves around the true story of a Parsi boy “Parzan” lost in the Gujarat Riots back of 2002 is a heart-wrecking and moving attempt at sensitizing the viewers. And, of course, to find Parzan. Films like Parzania et al. are not only bringing out the true stories of real people on screen but is also serving an all together different purpose of film-making : The social aspect of the flourishing money making industry “Bollywood”.
For decades, Indian cinema has focused on what we call as social evils in the society. It has tried to walk the path, not dared by others and has produced some memorable classics. Even recent films like Baabul, which solely centers on the concept of widow-remarriage also proves that Indian cinema has not completely lost the missionary zeal of its glorious past.
Earlier, many such attempts at awakening the indifferent common man were loosely termed as “art films”. They were the mundane and drag films that catered to a particular section in the society irrespective of the revenue (or the lack of it) they would generate. Such off-beat films like Mirch Masala, Manthan, 36, Chowringee Lane, Rudaali etc. did well at the film festivals and won critical acclaim but rarely did they dare to bare the real facts in the public which such a hard fist. The recent and the forthcoming releases of this year will give a new breathing space for these worthy, different films again.