National award-winning director B. Suresha on Thursday said that films are a powerful medium that can be used for nation building as the visual medium can be used to raise consciousness of society and highlight vices.
Mr. Suresh was speaking at a panel discussion at the two-day Chrysalis-2018 film festival organised by the postgraduate department of Journalism and Mass Communication of St. Aloysius College here.
He said: “Once you watch a film, it should make you think. It should motivate you to do something positive in life. It is then that a film can be called a good film and the film has achieved its success. Film should never be measured by its commercial success alone.”
Responding to a question as to which type of film making he would prefer to create awareness and consciousness in society, Mr. Suresha said his first choice would be theatre and not film.
“Theatre gives you possibilities for direct conversation with the audience. It is an intimate medium. My second preference is television as it has a large reach, and then comes film.”
Documentary maker Natesh Ullal said that films in the wrong hands may create havoc.
“We have seen in history how film has been used for propaganda. Even today, we have the establishments using it create a false sense of development and prosperity. We can call the country developed only when the last person in society is part of the decision-making process in a democracy,” he said.
Catherine Shilpa of the PG department of English at St. Aloysius College chaired the session.
The two-day fest concluded with actor Siddhi Mahajankatty attending the closing ceremony. She said: “I am still a student, films happened to me by chance. But I have realised that films are a wonderful medium to express oneself and create an impact among the audience.”