Cinema should not be blamed for crime in society: Mahesh Bhatt

The filmmaker says that cinema influences, but only cinema cannot be blamed.

Mumbai: With the content of the movies coming under the scanner of Censor Board, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt says cinema should not be blamed for the crime happening in the society.

"I think one can`t blame cinema for all the bad things that are happening in the society. There is no evidence that cinema does that. It is all on assumption that whatever bad things happen in society is because of us," Bhatt told reporters at the FICCI Frames event here today. "We can see that cinema influences, but only cinema cannot be blamed. The day we will get evidence, we will stop making such films," he said. Bhatt`s comments came during a panel discussion on `The freedom of expression in cinema` held on the second day of FICCI Frames 2013 here. The other panelists included actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan, actor Rahul Bose and Lok Sabha MP Jay Panda. Haasan`s `Vishwaroopam` had also been embroiled in controversy over the content in the film. "This is something which not only I have been facing but it has been going on with different people for a while now. This has been going on for years. We should voice it no matter whom it happens to. I think collective consciousness needs to come about," Haasan said. Actor Rahul Bose feels films do provoke. "Artists do provoke society... Questions do get raised by films. But this will only happen when that piece is allowed to be displayed. I think the artists should not be pushed against the wall for them to get together. They are the ones who will change things," Bose said. Bhatt also feels the writers are living under fear. "The writers today live in fear of the mob outside. Filmmakers are not underground revolutionaries. We are not armed to deal with crazy mobs. Timidity becomes the philosophy and fear is ruling over us," he said. "They (mob) do have a right to protest but they can`t terrorise and gang up. When a movie faces a problem no one does anything even in the highest power," he added. PTI