The soul of a human being defines not just him as a lone existence but it also

becomes symbolic of a journey, which has sailed through generations prior to

arriving at its current state of being. This one soul, therefore becomes a living
representative of an era gone by, hence reflecting the background to a human art
and culture. Human civilization and its unstoppable instinct of constantly being in
motion is an unquenchable want, to know, to grow, and to express through a
medium of communication. A harmonious co-existence of a heart and mind in the
most hostile situation of life is one ideal space where an Art form takes birth, to
further evolve and dissolve into a more refined state. A mind desires to learn and a
heart to bear all that it possibly can in its path to learning, where strength is what it
gathers.
Music, Poetry and Prose are one of the oldest Art forms mastered and enriched by
some of the greatest human souls for many centuries. Cinema as an Art is not as
old as other Art forms, yet it’s highly infectious energy has the power to inspire
and to impact its audience and society very deeply. Apart from being the bearer of
a certain sense of a social responsibility, it is also considered a major source of
entertainment universally, transcending barriers of any kind. Indian Cinema is
popularized by Bollywood or the Hindi film industry, Hindi being the national
language of India. Cinema binds people together across the globe through its
Cinematic language pulsating with human emotion.
Indian cinema is divided into two broad categories, namely Commercial cinema
and the Parallel Cinema. On the one hand for instance, the Commercial Bollywood
Cinema with its big budget movies, having superstars is the real money-spinner.
Their main aim is to entertain its audience, especially the working class yearning
for a respite from its daily real life struggles and who expects a larger than life
world of fantasy, a lighthearted two and a half hour celluloid experience. On the
other hand the Parallel or Independent Cinema is of a more serious nature in terms
of content being socially pertinent. Its primary aim is to inform the viewer about
the existing social issues of our milieu.
With the advent of social media, experimental and short viral video concepts have
become one need of the hour. Young You-tubers are earning online because of this
new age social media phenomenon. A massive flood of short video products has
created its very own audience – upfront, impatient, and totally unforgiving. Quick
execution of a video concept with an almost zero budget investment and its simple
online release independently on YouTube or any other Social Media platform has
led to a massive increase in the number of users on Social Media. Its democratic
nature is a great opportunity for artists and original content creators to express
themselves, to communicate and mostly to buy or sell their products.
Original content or amateur videos is an amazing work opportunity for any social
media user. Its democratic nature is beyond any lingual limitation, therefore, there
is content in every language catering to its region or people. The number of 4G
users in rural India has increased in the past few years. This is helping in better
communication amongst the rural population with better general awareness and
information amongst them.
Mass production of videos at such a fast rate in order to serve its consumer
belonging to such a diverse socio-economic strata does have its share of genuine
concern. Be it content or execution, most of these consumer videos are suffering
from the lack of artistic mastery which quality Cinema is known for. An overall
depletion of quality products as a result of quick and easy production tactics is
detrimental to this entire generation’s mindset, its thought process.
The Great Russian auteur Andrei Tarkovsky once mentioned, that, “Little plots and
stories, acted out and screened, can't possibly be called cinema. They have nothing
whatever to do with cinema. A cinematographic work is above all a work, which
would not be possible in any other art form. In other words, it can be created by
means of cinema, and cinema alone”― Andrei Tarkovsky, Journal 1970-1986.
At first, the YouTube content creators must understand that the nature of their
content is primarily suited for Social Media consumption. Entertainment or
information is the real motive of Social Media content wherein; it may or may not
rely on Bollywood or Indian Cinema. A good online content with a shabby
execution and even worse production if it’s a rare example is still acceptable but if
the same amateur sensibility becomes a trend then it’s definitely not a good sign.
It may possibly set a bad example for the young impressionist minds. In the worst-
case scenario it may abolish the notion of quality in Cinematic expression or even
disregard Cinema as an Art form and its painful journey, a futile experience.
A desire for money and fame amongst the young YouTubers and their quick
success may also promote mediocrity in their literary skills and abilities. A
relationship of permanence with the virtual world shall leave these young minds at
a distance from books of all kinds, further strengthening a loss of quality
expression.
The ease projected by Social Media content, as in the case of DIY content (Do It
Yourself ) may condition minds that may replicate best what they see but will they
be able to recreate life as a part of their perception, the real, and the truthful?