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Addressing a gathering after presenting the awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke honour to Waheeda Rehman, the President said films are not just limited to business and entertainment. ”Cinema is both a document of our society and also a medium to improve it. You are artists and change agents. You not only inform people about the country but also connect them with each other… Cinema is the most effective medium to spread awareness and sensitivity,” she said.
The President said winning films this year tackled a variety of issues like climate change, girls’ trafficking, oppression of women, corruption and social exploitation. ”Good films have been made on various subjects like tribal communities’ love for nature and art, establishment of the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, fighting with indomitable spirit amidst adversities, transformative power of education and special achievements in the field of art and culture,” Murmu said.
The President said it was her belief that Indian films should promote the country’s social diversity and rich cultural heritage. ”I’m confident that such films will not only be beneficial for the country and society, but would also be commercially successful,” she said, urging the film industry to continue addressing important issues.
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Union Minister Anurag Thakur expressed his pride in the Indian film industry and said that today nothing is regional.
”If the content is good, regional content will find global audience,” he said. The minister said the government stands shoulder to shoulder with the industry in its efforts to counter movie piracy and it has brought Cinematograph Act which is a big step in curbing this menace. He said the government is working on a policy that will help India realise its potential as the ”content hub of the world”.