Reel VS Real Life.

I have always wondered whether the reel life had any relevance to the real one. No one ever fights half a dozen men and emerges, leave alone victorious, alive!! Films are definitely a gross exaggeration of the real life but they undoubtedly reflect the culture, mindset and the mentality of the people.

For example, we know the American culture (if there exists one) through their Cinema. We know Americans as good entrepreneurs, business minded, adventurous etc through the movies we see.

The Indian Filmdom has the dual responsibility of churning out good entertainers and also to explain to the rest of the world, the essence of Indian culture.

I had the ‘privilege’ of watching one of Vijaykanth’s movies in which he lights a cigarette with his own blood.

Message Intended: He is a powerful man with powerful blood (enough to light a cigarette). This high voltage blood flows through his body.

In the next scene, he touches his moustache which sends a man flying away.
Hidden Message: I give up. May be he wants to convey to the audience that his moustache has magical powers (that’s only my guess).

What sort of a message will this convey about the people of Tamilnadu (in general INDIA)? Won’t these movies show us as fools who believe in such rotten portrayal of larger-than life characters? Do the foreigners have a biased opinion about our mental abilities before they meet us first time?