Javed Akhtar rebukes blaming cinema for social violence

Kolkata: Asserting that it is the society that makes cinema and not vice versa, Indian veteran lyricist-scriptwriter Javed Akhtar rebuked the view that cinema spreads violence and criticised the trend of connecting incidences of rapeto cinema.

"Our violence is caste-based, economic-based. I am not defending cinema. I am telling you, let us not have a wrong diagnosis of a national problem because we will not be able to correct it then," he said at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet on Monday.

To a question on the influence of cinema, the 71-year-old lyricist said everything that is happening, economic and social deprivations cannot be blamed to cinema.

"Cinema is a whipping boy. We have to face the reality. It is the society that makes cinema. Cinema doesn't make society," he said.

The Sahitya Akademi awardee attributed the 'clash of civilisation within society' to immigration as a culture shock for some.

"There is lot of immigration in the cities. There is a clash of civilisations within our society as under the same sky, people from different economic zones live. Exposure through media is so much that I am more aware of what I am deprived of than what I have," he said.

Backing his claim, Akhtar said: "In places where there are less theatres, there is more violence. So how can we believe cinema is spreading violence in the society?"