There's No Talk of Climate Change in Movies, Yet 91% of Indians are Affected by It
A few days ago, I read a thought-provoking point in a column by the senior columnist N. Raghuraman. In one of his articles, he mentioned that over the past twenty years, not a single film has been made in Bollywood or even Hollywood focusing on climate change. Meanwhile, the disasters related to climate change have reached their peak globally. Yet, filmmakers and major stars seem more concerned with saving the world from aliens or other planetary threats, with no concern for the monsters on their own planet that are causing harm.
Personally, N. Raghuraman’s point deeply touched me. After all, in India, films are considered a mirror of society. In the 1970s, many films brought about social or political changes. Films have significantly influenced education systems and lifestyles in a country like India. If Indians have strong opinions about their personal freedom, it's also because of the films released over time. Even in recent years, movies like “Padman” and "Toilet" have revolutionized social perceptions about menstruation and hygiene.
However, it seems like an international conspiracy that filmmakers and so-called big stars have never thought to make films centered around climate change. I called some sources and spoke with a few filmmakers to understand why this is happening. Are their hands tied when it comes to making films about climate change? The response from filmmakers was that in a country like India, most people have no concern about climate change. Due to public apathy, they don’t make films on this subject.
However, this doesn’t seem entirely true to me. A recent national survey revealed that now even common Indian citizens believe that climate change has serious impacts on their lives. Most people in the country are extremely worried about rising temperatures. The research, titled “Climate Change in the Indian Mind,” conducted in collaboration with an international agency, found that 91% of Indians now believe global warming is a current reality for them.
This research aimed to understand the level of awareness about climate change among Indians. In it, 59% of respondents said they consider climate change to be an extremely worrying issue due to the extremely hot summer weather and irregular seasons. About 30% of Indians expressed concern that climate change will lead to the extinction of certain plant and animal species, which would severely impact India’s climate and social life. Additionally, 15% believe they might have to relocate due to climate change and are already extremely worried about displacement, expecting government assistance in this regard.
If so many Indians are aware and concerned about climate change, why do filmmakers believe that nobody in India cares about it? Whether people are concerned or not, a massive film industry that does billions of rupees in business has a responsibility to create films or series about climate change. This can lead to public awareness and revolution. It would help people understand the causes of climate change and take action against any established powers playing a role in it.
Furthermore, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi also desires that discussions about climate change move from conference tables to dinner tables to bring about positive changes in the global climate. Personally, I believe that if we want to bring the issue of climate change to every household's dining table, there’s nothing more effective than films or web series.