Cinema Reflects Emotions and Dreams: M.N. Swamy

Quick Summary

• Internationally renowned film anthologist M.N. Swamy spoke at the Mysore Film Festival’s inauguration on Saturday, organized by Manujamata Cineyana at the International Youth Hostel in Gokulam, Mysuru.
• The two-day festival featured discussions on cinema’s role in exploring human emotions and reconstructing social experiences.
• Mr. Swamy emphasized cinema’s capacity to address societal inequalities and called for the establishment of film clubs in schools and colleges.
• Writer Molly Varghese highlighted world cinema as a reflection of transcultural political and religious changes, praising filmmaker adoor Gopalakrishnan’s contributions to global cinema standards.
• Festival director Ivan D. Silva stated that film festivals drive intellectual engagement with social issues through art, culture, and documentaries.
• Film critic K. Bogiraj discussed cinema’s role in highlighting imperialism, profiteering, warmongering, and oppression while advocating critical discourse at festivals.
• Critic K.Paniraj expressed the need for greater outreach of such festivals to rural areas beyond metropolitan hubs.

Indian Opinion analysis

The Mysore Film festival showcased an engaging intersection between art forms like cinema and societal concerns such as inequality and oppression. Speakers universally agreed on films’ ability to provoke intellectual reflection while capturing humanist narratives across cultures-an aspect vital for India’s multicultural society where storytelling bridges past injustices with future aspirations.

A call for establishing grassroots-level accessibility via film clubs or extending festivals into rural districts is importent given India’s diverse population base outside urban cores. This decentralization could not only democratize access to global cinematic discourse but also nurture critical thinking among youth through exposure to artistic representations of socio-political challenges.

The festival further underscores the importance of world cinema as a medium capable of transcending geographic barriers while addressing universal themes-a growing need considering India’s evolving role within global cultural landscapes.

Read more: Published – September 01, 2025

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!Film anthologist M.N. Swamy speaking at the inauguration of Mysuru Film Festival in Mysuru on Saturday