After attending the first national conference on tobacco control, my stand towards the health ministry's intervention about smoking scenes in films has changed. My interaction with doctors and people whose loved ones faded before their eyes after being afflicted with lung cancer (some of them influenced to take a drag after they watched their celluloid idols puff away) altered my view.
Earlier I thought that diktats of banning smoking scenes in films that was earlier issued by the health ministry would uneccessarily affect a filmmaker's creativity, but now I believe a little restraint from the film industry could do wonders. And have a look at these statistics which speaks volumes, 200 Indians succumb to cardio vascular diseses caused by tobacco consumption. Some 8 lakhs will be affected by oral and lung cancer in a year after continued tobacco consumption.
For years our film industry resorts to showing actors smoking on their long pipes looking very glamourous, from images of the svelte Zeenat Aman puffing away in 'Hare Rama Hara Krishna' to Rajnikant's tricks with a cigarette and a lighter to Ajay Devgan smoking silhouette scenes in 'Company' all images etched in our memories for many years. And believe you me, people do get influenced. If impressionable minds try to emulate their heroes, by dressing like them, talking like them, using phrases from their films, its very likely that watching their heroes smoke, would induce an urge to try it themselves.
Many people will say that its very to easy to target the film industry but to effectively ban smoking, the tobacco industry should be banned. It's a thought that most likely will remain a thought, because everyone knows about the powerful tobacco lobby that exists in each country. With a little responsiblity and some restraint, films could cut down on showing protagnists smoking and could to a certain extent deter youngsters from trying to puff.
first published:January 28, 2006, 13:44 ISTlast updated:January 28, 2006, 13:44 IST
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After attending the first national conference on tobacco control, my stand towards the health ministry's intervention about smoking scenes in films has changed. My interaction with doctors and people whose loved ones faded before their eyes after being afflicted with lung cancer (some of them influenced to take a drag after they watched their celluloid idols puff away) altered my view.
Earlier I thought that diktats of banning smoking scenes in films that was earlier issued by the health ministry would uneccessarily affect a filmmaker's creativity, but now I believe a little restraint from the film industry could do wonders. And have a look at these statistics which speaks volumes, 200 Indians succumb to cardio vascular diseses caused by tobacco consumption. Some 8 lakhs will be affected by oral and lung cancer in a year after continued tobacco consumption.
For years our film industry resorts to showing actors smoking on their long pipes looking very glamourous, from images of the svelte Zeenat Aman puffing away in 'Hare Rama Hara Krishna' to Rajnikant's tricks with a cigarette and a lighter to Ajay Devgan smoking silhouette scenes in 'Company' all images etched in our memories for many years. And believe you me, people do get influenced. If impressionable minds try to emulate their heroes, by dressing like them, talking like them, using phrases from their films, its very likely that watching their heroes smoke, would induce an urge to try it themselves.
Many people will say that its very to easy to target the film industry but to effectively ban smoking, the tobacco industry should be banned. It's a thought that most likely will remain a thought, because everyone knows about the powerful tobacco lobby that exists in each country. With a little responsiblity and some restraint, films could cut down on showing protagnists smoking and could to a certain extent deter youngsters from trying to puff.
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