Film Club Insider - Part 7

 Mental Health Awareness Month Special - 'Dear Zindagi'

 

Cinema has a deep impact on society, as a medium of portraying the public and shedding light on social issues. This month, the University Film Club (UFC) will be focusing on the mental effect of cinema. Media has the opportunity to portray mental health in a sensitive manner, due to its widespread reach within the community.

On the 16th of May, 2022, the UFC held a special screening of the movie ‘Dear Zindagi’ by Gauri Shinde at 4:00pm. The event was co-ordinated by Ahmad Mudassir, and the entire evening was hosted by Alvina Rais Khan. There was a welcome-note by the secretary of UFC, Syed Suhaib, and club member Madihah Danish gave a speech on mental health, especially on cinema’s effect on mental health. We are glad that Bollywood is coming up with such unconventional movies and opening up about mental health, and more so in a way that does not trivialise its finer details. Before the screening began, Mahvish Fatima, another member of the UFC, presented her views on mental health. She highlighted the role of therapy and such treatments especially amongst the youth of India. Mental stability and its dependence on mainstream media are deeply rooted.

Alvina Rais Khan then gave a final thank-you-note and Abdullah Iftikhar started off the show! A very popular movie, Dear Zindagi enticed a passionate response from the audience. The Kennedy Auditorium is known to have a thundering crowd, and this evening was like every other.

Cinema is a very strong medium of representation and influence. Inaccurate depiction of affected individuals and misrepresentation of mental illnesses leads to spreading of misinformation. Filmmakers, while ensuring entertainment, should be mindful to these details. Since the influence of cinema on the society is very deep, producers and directors need to be aware of potential faults and stereotypes in their cinematic productions.

Written By,
Sheeza Shoeb