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| Shantanu Moitra. (Image via: Instagram/moitrashantanu) |
Engaging oneself in any art form is a therapy that heals people emotionally. Art is remedy for the soul, which can be in any form, be it music, cinema, literature or theatre. Speaking at the Inaugural Ceremony of The Culture Cinema 2021 as the Chief Guest, Shantanu Moitra, the veteran singer and the music composer stated this which held recently.
He shared his views on "Why film festivals are so important?" and how pandemic has led people more to generic content especially on OTT platforms. Moitra is a popular Bollywood Music Composer and has composed various musical numbers for movies including PK, 3 Idiots, Madras Café, etc.
Moitra iterated that the consumption of OTT platforms has been so incredibly high since the lockdown, which means that people are craving content and entertainment. Film festivals provide a platform for films that don't make it to the theatres or OTT platforms due to the lack of resources. He said film festivals encourage cast, creed, colour, and religious tolerance as people from varied regions participate in these festivals.
The Bollywood music composer further added,
"It's a great platform for an individual's expression, such as people from remote areas such as Nagaland, Mizoram or Rajasthan. They don't have enough resources or tools like a camera, but people can create short films from their mobile phones as well because it's the story that matters the most."
Therefore, when these films get screened in the film festivals, it inspires people and brings hope for all those who want to express themselves or convey a message to society about the world they live in. However, it's a platform for our young filmmakers to showcase their creativity, storytelling; their talent and skills, and most importantly, their passion for filmmaking.
Moitra (53) further explained how art has proved to be one of the effective medicines during the pandemic. He mentioned about two kinds of medicines. The first kind is the one prescribed by the doctors, which take care of physical problems. Meanwhile, the other one takes care of the soul. Art is medicine for the soul, which can be in any form, such as music, cinema, literature, theatre, etc. Engaging yourself in any art is a therapy that heals people emotionally.
Therefore, all of us need to be associated with any art and come together to make the world a better place to live and heal the ones who don't have access to these resources.
He concluded by adding,
"We all should take the initiative to make the film festivals a great success and help people to cope with stress during these disturbing times."
The Culture Cinema 2021 is a film festival that aims to celebrate world cultures through cinema. It will be featuring over 74 films from 21 countries, screening to Indian and global audiences. The festival will last till August 16. An absolute treat for all the movie-buffs.
Author:
Vasundhara Tiwari
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