Actor Sharmila Tagore inaugurated a Film Club at Jamia Millia Islamia on Tuesday, adding to the clubs at the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre on the campus.
‘Not passive observers’
Ms. Tagore, a former Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), told the students that films had the potential to offer not just hope but the remedy to many ills of society. The club will help students understand new ideas and the latest trends that are so wonderfully portrayed through films, she added.
Kiran Karnik, former president, NASSCOM and a well-known broadcaster who was the chief guest, said that “a film club would provide an opportunity to discuss and dissect a film as well as draw insight from it. It is this that would differentiate us from passive viewers of cinema”.
V-C’s push for club
Vice-Chancellor of the university, Talat Ahmad, said that when he came to Jamia he was surprised that the university did not have a film club and therefore, he was very keen to start one at Jamia. Reminiscing his own student days at AMU where the film and drama clubs were very active, he said that a lot of learning and education comes from watching films. He asked the students to enrol for the club and recommended weekly and fortnightly screenings to make the club more vibrant.
Iftekhar Ahmed, Director, AJK MCRC at whose initiative the film club has been launched, outlined its key objectives and hoped that the club will play a significant role in not just showcasing the best of Indian and international cinema to the students of Jamia but would provide them with an opportunity to meet film personalities.
