Hindi Cinema and Society: A study on the perception of Indian youth

Abstract


 
 
 For Indians, Cinema has remained integral since its inception in society. Films have evolved from black- and-white to color; from several reels to a single showreel; from no animations to varied forms and techniques; and from single-screen theatres to multiplexes/multiple screens too. The researchers have chosen the social drama genre from the spectrum of diverse genres to study. The researchers are curious to know the perception of youth towards the mentioned genre, especially those who belong to the age group of 18 to 23 years. This research aims to study whether or not movies belonging to the social drama genre make the desired impact on society against social evils. With the ever-increasing number of social issues in the country, even during the present pandemic situation, this study holds significance in trying to know if one of the empowering tools of the Indian society for generating awareness is empowering or forbidding. The present study is conducted by keeping “Bollywood” (Hindi cinema) in the nucleus because of the researchers’ zealous fondness towards Hindi movies. Because of the unprecedented times of the Covid-19 pandemic, the data for the research have been collected using Google forms and combined with the data of 200 respondents, majorly from, but not limited to, the Western part of India. The study findings interestingly unveil that the majority of the youth believe the social issues are majorly seen in the middle economic class of Indian society. The majority also does not agree or is neutral with the statement that the social drama Hindi films could bring the desired change in society.