Two of Indian cinema’s largest stars on Thursday underlined the potential of films in upholding values of humanity, unity and variety, and known as for demolishing variations and prejudices — feedback that assume significance in opposition to the backdrop of a fractious debate in recent times over inventive freedom and political influences within the film business.

Speaking on the inauguration of the twenty eighth Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan spoke in regards to the energy of cinema to construct a greater world. Bachchan mentioned that timeless films by maestros all the time revealed a socially and politically aware imaginative and prescient of humanity and variations that divide have to be demolished, highlighting the pluralistic legacy of Indian cinema that additionally stood as much as British censorship. Khan referred to negativity and narrowness of views expressed on social media and hailed the facility of films in sustaining a story of unity and brotherhood, at time a brand new track from his upcoming film has courted controversy.

In his speech, Bachchan spoke about repeated confrontations between the film business and the colonial rulers pre-Independence.

“With these never-ending confrontations in the 1940s, the policing of Indian cinema grew exasperatingly stringent…over the rigmarole of five different censor boards setting up their own rules, things were chaotic.

“Finally, the 1952 cinematograph act set out the structure of censorship as it stands today upheld by the film certification board, but even now ladies and gentlemen, and I am sure my colleagues on stage will agree, questions are being raised on civil liberties and freedom of expression,” he added.

Bachchan underlined how topics, know-how and methods of taking pictures and imagining cinema had modified over the a long time.

“From mythological films and socialist cinema…arthouse cinema…the advent of the angry young man of the 1970s and 80s viewed against the frustration of countless unemployed youth to the current brand of historicals couched in fictionalised jingoism along with moral policing, the range has kept the audience reflecting on the politics and social concerns of our times…” he mentioned.

He invoked Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwick Ghatak and Rabindranath Tagore to underline his level about films referring to common themes.

“Let us find new summits to conquer. Let us bring down the barriers that blinded our view of the horizons. Let us craft a singularity out of the many truths that come our way. Let us demolish the differences that divide us. Let us build a monolith with our diversity. May no one be in the shadow of our glory. May everyone feel the joy,” he added.

Khan spoke about social media and the cinematic medium, and its penalties.

“The collective narrative of our times is shaped by social media. Contrary to the belief that spread of social media will affect cinema negatively, I feel that cinema has an even more important role to play now. Social media is often driven by a certain narrowness of views that limit human nature and negativity increases social media consumption and thereby increases its commercial value as well. Such pursuits enclose the collective narrative, making it divisive and destructive,” he mentioned.

“Cinema exposes the vulnerability of human nature. It allows us to know each other better. It is best placed to sustain a collective counter narrative that speak to the larger nature of humankind. A narrative that brings to the fore humanity’s immense capacity for compassion, unity and brotherhood,” he mentioned, exhorting everybody to make use of the facility of cinema to interrupt prejudices and construct a greater world.

West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Shatrughan Sinha and lots of stars from the Bengali film business have been current. Banerjee demanded Bharat Ratna for Bachchan and mentioned, “Though this is not official, we are raising a demand from Bengal that Amitabh Bachchan Ji be awarded the Bharat Ratna. You will not find another icon like him. He is also a great human being.”

The BJP focused Mamata Banerjee later within the evening saying Bachchan’s reference to civil liberties and freedom of expression was pointed at Bengal. “He hit the nail on the head with @MamataOfficial on his side . Thank you @SrBachchan for standing for victims of political violence in West Bengal” tweeted B L Santhosh, BJP nationwide common secretary.