New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday called upon film fraternity to curb the depiction of violence, vulgarity and obscenity in view of the huge impact films make on the masses, particularly the youngsters.
Speaking after giving away the 66th National Film Awards here, the Vice President said that filmmakers should be conscious of the impact this powerful medium has on people.
He urged them to use the powerful medium as an instrument of social change and educate people, promote social harmony and bring about an attitudinal change in society in combating various social ills.
''The focus should be on creating an artistic rendition of challenges and social ills and resolve the conflicts in a way that reinforces social cohesion and ethical principles,'' he added.
Pointing to the huge influence cinema has on young, impressionable minds, Mr Naidu said that cinema can play a major role in promoting the right values.
''We must convey a strong message to combat the current trend of violence against women,'' he added while expressing his concern over the incidents of rape and violence against women in some parts of the country.
''All of us in society, particularly those from the film industry, must promote and depict women in a respectable manner,'' he said.
''It is probably wrong to think that a message-oriented film would not be accepted by the audience. A film with a social message can be entertaining and commercially successful as well,'' he emphasised and wanted the film industry to create awareness among the youngsters on the importance of healthy diet and physical fitness.
The Vice President urged every filmmaker to make a conscious effort to ensure that the depiction characters, dialogues and costumes reflect India's cultures, customs, practices and traditions.
Cinema should also help in strengthening the family system and in promoting democratic governance,'' Mr Naidu said.
Referring to the global popularity of Indian cinema, the Vice President said Indian films convey an important glimpse of 'Indianness' or 'Bharatheeyatha' to the outside world. ''We need to be effective ambassadors in the world of cultural diplomacy,'' he averred.
Calling for greater co-operation between the film fraternity and the government to devise ways to utilize the scenic endowments of India, the Vice President said,''While collectively striving for sustainable development, we can promote tourism sector and showcase India's cultural diversity to the world.''
Congratulating all the award winners, Mr Naidu expressed the hope that the year 2020 would see an ever-increasing sense of artistic and creative fulfillment as Indian cinema continues its quest for greater heights of excellence.
The Vice President also congratulated Uttarakhand State for facilitating the ease of film making and winning the award for being the most film-friendly state.
Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Environment, Forest and Climate Change & Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Ravi Mittal, Secretary, Ministry of I & B, members and chairmen of the jury and award winners including actors Keerti Suresh, Akshay Kumar, Ayushman Khurrana, Vicky Kaushal were present on the occasion.(UNI)