Tamil Cinema with a conscience: How social dramas inspire change and reflect society

Social dramas have occupied an important place in the world of Tamil cinema. By presenting the problems faced by society and the people, social dramas convey important messages through the protagonists and characters.

These express various social issues such as family, religion, politics, women's rights, school, and work life through the medium of film. Social dramas are created to make the audience think and present them with an imaginative picture of life. Thus, social dramas have a unique place in Tamil films.

The power to influence social consciousness

Social films have the potential to have a direct impact on the minds of the public and on society. These films are produced to create awareness about women's rights, child protection, rural development, social caste divisions, etc.

For example, some films released in the last few years have captured the successes of women's education, child labor, and breaking the rules of tradition, changing the perception of audiences in society.

Not only this, but it also creates a sense of political and social norms in the minds of the people.“You don't have to drink alcohol to come here to scream. What I gave you is a book. You should read my cinema as a book,” said Mari Selvaraj while at a fan interaction during his new release 'Bison'.

Challenges behind creating social dramas

The process of creating social dramas is very difficult. Not only the plot, but also the social message must be properly received, so that the directors, writers, and actors research and prepare the story structure repeatedly. At the same time, actors must act in a way that accurately reflects social sentiments. Sometimes, songs, screenplays, and shows are produced that contain social debates. This makes creating social films a time-consuming, labor-intensive, and stressful task.At the press meet of 'Visaranai', Vetri Maaran said, “I've always said that the more ethnic you become, the more international your film becomes.”

Advantages and limitations of social dramas

The benefits of social dramas are many. It creates awareness among the audience, promotes social change, and disseminates social issues. But it also has some limitations. Sometimes, methods of conveying complex social messages can be stressful or misunderstood by viewers.

At the same time, social dramas may not be high-grossing films and may have lower budgets. We have seen several stars undergo massive transformations both physically and mentally for their roles.

They earned praise through those roles, but some have also lost their shape due to it and faced struggles.“For me, art and music is a political tool. I want to highlight social issues through art and music, issues that have been there since centuries but have failed to bring about a change,” said Pa Ranjith during the promotion of 'Thangalaan'.

The continuing role of social dramas in Tamil cinema

Overall, social dramas play a very important role in Tamil cinema. They are a powerful tool to make the audience think about social issues. These films, produced by directors, actors, and crews working together, act as a bridge between society and the film industry. Despite limitations in time, social dramas continue to play a role in bringing about change, creating new ideas and awareness.