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-   -   Can Indian Cinema play an important role in promoting road safety? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-safety/192150-can-indian-cinema-play-important-role-promoting-road-safety.html)

At the outset, this is my first article. Moderator, fellow BHPians, and my dear readers, please don’t mind if any mistakes are found but please share your feedback, I will surely work upon it, and will try to improve the same.:)

All right, with your permission, here is my first ever article on Team-Bhp:-

Before 3 idiots, most of us did not know about that beautiful lake at Ladakh, did we? No wonder Indian cinemas (especially Bollywood) play a major role to spread awareness, culture etc. Though movies are being properly utilized to make people aware of culture, places, good or bad etc.(like movie "Kahani" to spread culture of Calcutta, or “Pink” to spread the ground reality of women safety in India) However, in general, I found that neither Indian cinema industry nor the appropriate authority are utilizing Indian movies to reach out to the mass about the basic road safety & precautions.

Many times I observed that, they have added some extra scenes in between to promote some brands (like soft drinks, laptop, cellphone etc.). But there is hardly any initiative to promote the basic road safety.

I sincerely believe cricket stars, Bollywood stars can reach out very effectively to the common citizens than anybody else; this can be channelized to promote road safety.

That’s why, legendary sportsman Sir Sachin Tendulkar once made a statement that , I will never ever endorse any liquor brand not even cigarette, guthka because I know people follow me, people get inspiration from me, I don’t want to spread any negative message to them.

On the other hand, I am sharing some pictures from Bollywood movies where stars (the characters) riding bikes without helmet, which people will tend to follow. Instead they could add an effective scene to insist (public) wearing helmet. Any thoughts members?

The below pictures are for representational purpose & not directly intended to point out any single character:-



Disclaimer: No harm to any stars, director, producer, politicians, authority, any person associated with Indian cinemas or any supporters/fans of them. Please take it sportingly. The post is not intended to harm anyone's image, rather the author respect each one of them for their immense contribution to our society, and expect a little extra to save people's live.


Moderator: Please move this topic to appropriate thread, if required.

Live to Drive!
Cheers!!

It's harder for our cinema industry to portray both safety and yet show actors being "Heroes"
Our audience crave to see the heroics and stunts portrayed by our "Heroes" which are often impossible and defy every law of Physics.
e.g. Using SUVs to aim and shoot down someone, doing splits on two BMW's drifting away!
As audiences we love it and pay to see our "Heroes" do something inhuman and completely illogical.

It's difficult to impose such Traffic laws on reel life when we are already having a difficult time implememting them in real life!

While I can sense your point, which is correct. But again, I have seen "Dhoom" which was a super hit movie at that time, though in the movie, John was wearing helmet in most of the time while riding his super bikes. He was hero. They portrayed him well.. People loved it.

That's why they say, "Where there's a will, there's a way"

There are few stars who are used for creating awareness for certain causes (Amitabh for Polio and several stars endorsing swachh bharat). Similar initiatives can be taken by stars/organisations to create Road safety awareness as well. In my opinion, movie makers care too much about presentation and they will not endorse road safety views in their movies if they think otherwise. Even Hollywood movies such as Fast and Furious series etc. is all about breaking rules and being heroic.

Ceat tyre ads with statements such as "Roads are filled with idiots" tells you exactly what you shouldn't do and I like such ads. They also came up with initiatives to fill pot holes in Mumbai which is kind of encouraging

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYcUEG0lSSc

Cinemas main motive is to make money. Why would most of the producers of movies care if a social message is passed on in the movie or not? I believe that we should see movies as a medium of entertainment only and not take any life lessons from it.

Self awareness/realization is the only way out and I am not sure how to go about successfully. Educating people about it, might help, to an extent.

There is a Kannada horror/thriller movie called "U-Turn" - its about an illegal U-turn that commuters take on a flyover
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_Turn_(2016_film)

Movie Trailer (has English sub-titles):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdh5P8dtMXA

Your intention for the thread is really great. :)

I agree John was wearing a helmet most of the time in Dhoom which was definitely commendable :thumbs up but even this movie had its own share of side effects- Young guys were inspired of doing high speeds without having the required skill for doing such speeds, the richer one's got themselves a Hyabusa/superbike and and started riding at illegal speeds on the highways.
Few trucks and buses installed musical horns with Dhoom tune and created nuisance on the road.

If heroes do not show all these stunts, they wont be considered as heroes any more. They will be considered as commoners like us! What can be done is - Like when ever a smoking scene is shown, a disclaimer is given like ' Smoking is injurious to health/ smoking kills and causes cancer'. Similarly such disclaimers for these stunt scenes may work a bit!

From the last few years in Kolkata i noticed before starting a movie in Inox, Kolkata traffic police is showing the below/similar videos-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrh12FY5FjI

I personally feel this can definitely add some more awareness to the masses.

Don't know about movies but in present times, film stars have much more media exposure. Moments later, their photos are available on Instagram or faceboook or Twitter.

I usually try to observe, if the respective personality is wearing seat-belts or helmet (which they usually do to avoid attention) or their wives are carrying babies in arms while sitting on front seat or have they bought the dedicated child seat (Have not seen one good example till now).

I do put comments and in 99% cases get trolled by their followers.
Some usual fans have started calling me "Mamu" (Traffic cops are usually referred as Mama in India) too.

Regards-Sonu

This disclaimer is shown in Malayalam movies when the actor drive without an helmet. Few actors were topic of discussion in the media when they were clicked driving without helmet. So most guys do try and drive with one, atleast in few scenes.

Fantastic topic! While I do understand that its not the 'job' of movies to take up any socially important issue or showcase ideal-citizen behavior, I do believe they should do their bit as part of 'ethical responsibility' towards the society in general.

I don't expect car chases and other stunts involving cars would go away, but at least the following aspects can be handled without impacting the entertainment value of the movie:
1. Major characters can be shown wearing seat belts while in cars.
2. Ditto with helmets.
3. Characters should not be shown throwing cigarette butts and other junk from cars on the road.
4. Minimize use of cellphones by the characters while driving.
5. When I see a movie with a character driving a car and talking continuously looking at the passenger, I expect a truck to T-bone the car. Can that be avoided? Deliver your dialogues, but keep your eyes on the road please.

While I agree with you, I don't have much hope from my fellow countrymen. Quoting a couple of posts from the accidents thread where a similar discussion happened sometime back

Road safety awareness has to start at the primary level of education for it to have some impact. There has to be massive change in behavioral pattern and even then it would take at least 10 years to have a noticeable impact.
I do recall in school the daily moral science classes that one had to attend. A similar programme is required for educating our future generations about rules of the road and road safety. Coupled with this should be strict enforcement of the law in letter and spirit( easier said than done). But once the subject of road safety becomes assessable and marks awarded that would affect the rank and percentages students obtain it is likely to have a positive effect. The subject should be taught right upto the +2 level and students assessed on their performance. It will take a generation, no doubt on that but these measures should have been undertaken a long time ago.
Hopefully, film makers would themselves realise the seriousness of the subject and not shoot scenes that violate basic road safety. If given a diktat ( like tobacco ads and warnings), one is most certainly likely to come up with resistance from the film makers like Govt. interfering with freedom of artistic expression, killing creativity, and the most bandied about phrase--democracy is in danger.

Movies won't - they are in the business of entertainment.

IIRC, more people die on Indian roads than from cancer. That's why, what the government should do is show mandatory 'road safety' ads (like they currently do for tobacco).

Movies like Dhoom & Fast and the Furious did lead to street racing too. Not that I'm pointing a finger at them (just saying).

I second the opinion that Indian Cinema can but wouldn't consider it a priority to promote road safety.

Some rules need to be broken for it to be entertainment!

How can the heroine let her hair fly free and somewhat lustfully if she has to wear a helmet.

I do think, however, that theaters, especially the chains, do a bit to promote road safety awareness.

For eg. I saw a couple of movies at a Cinepolis theater in Pune. At the beginning of each was a short film. A dramatic version of a road accident of a couple on a two-wheeler where the husband refuses to wear a helmet since they're "just going round the block" and instead keeps the helmet on the bike tank. He is then shown to have banged his head on the curb and is no more. Their daughter says how she wishes he wore a helmet.

But, imagine a Race or Dhoom or any of the frivolous other movies where every traffic rule is followed.

Forget movies; let's go to the celeb spotting thread and check how many are following rules: wearing helmets while riding or seatbelts when in the car.

Yes, movies are primarily for entertainment purpose, I dont disagree on this point. But spreading violation of law in the name of entertainment is not fair.

Thanks for your appeaciation
Correct, movies like "Dhoom" did have a negative effect. I just took "Dhoom" as an example of wearing helmet by the hero. Only that part, nothing else.:) I will never support insane speed like that!

Great initiative by Kolkata Police & Kolkata Inox. Kolkata police is one of the finest cops who are very effective while it comes to road safety. I heard, they fine people, for pillion not wearing helmet as well.

Great job! up does not matter if some ignorant people troll your comment. Your job is done! keep it up!

Very good initiative!

Great ideas indeed!:thumbs up hope the concerned agencies will have a look at it!

1. While I do understand, movies are for entertainment, but spreading violation of law in the name of entertainment is not fair.
2. Absolutely brilliant idea, at least this little thing they can do! In fact some times I have seen these kind of ads, they should increase those ads
3. Totally agreed. But I just took "Dhoom" as an example of wearing helmet only. Only that part, nothing else. I will never support insane speed like that!

Fully agreed on your view.