Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called upon the Malayalam film industry to introspect whether the inherent values of cinema that were deeply rooted in the soil and mankind had given way to vibrant frames, brought about by technological advancements.
Inaugurating the year-long Navati (90th anniversary) celebrations of Malayalam cinema on Tuesday, Mr. Vijayan lamented that films had begun to drift away from the cinema culture that had been heavily influenced by the lives of the common populace and the problems they faced. “We must contemplate whether films, which concealed the burning reality of our times, would stand the test of time,” he said.
Mr. Vijayan also stressed the relevance of cinema at a time when, he said, casteism and other social evils had shown signs of resurgence. “We live in times when caste walls are being built to isolate Dalit colonies, Dalit artists are being discriminated against and a tribal youth was lynched by a mob. Moreover, fascist tendencies were on the rise and our secular values were under serious threat. The time has come to revive the ideals of the renaissance movement. Malayalam cinema artistes had the cultural responsibility to propagate universal human value,” the Chief Minister said.
Presiding over the function, Cultural Affairs Minister A.K. Balan said a statue of J.C. Daniel, who is regarded the ‘father of Malayalam cinema’, would be erected in front of Kalabhavan Theatre in the State capital. He also termed cinema as a ‘super-art’ that encompassed the elements of several art forms.
Kerala State Chalachithra Academy chairman Kamal, in his introductory address, said efforts were being made to document the history of Malayalam cinema. He lamented the lack of efforts to preserve the history of the industry, particularly the prints of several classics, in the past.
Eminent playback singer K.J. Yesudas was the chief guest on the occasion. Cultural Affairs Secretary Rani George; district panchayat president V.K. Madhu; Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi chairperson K.P.A.C. Lalitha; Kerala Tourism Development Corporation chairman M. Vijayakumar, noted filmmaker K.G. George; eminent lyricist and filmmaker Sreekumaran Thampi; veteran actor G.K. Pillai; Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) president Sibi Malayil; Kerala State Chalachithra Academy vice-chairperson Bina Paul; and Kerala Film Producers Association president M. Renjith were also present.
