Actor Shah Rukh Khan, who was among the participants at the inauguration of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival today, congratulated the organisers for bringing together people for the event after battling tough times amid the pandemic.
Here are 10 top quotes from Shah Rukh Khan's speech
The collective narrative of our times is shaped by social media. Contrary to the belief that the spread of social media will affect cinema negatively, I believe cinema has an even more important role to play now.
Social media is often given by a certain narrowness of view that limits human nature to its baser self. I read somewhere that negativity increases social media consumption, and thereby increases its commercial value as well.
Such pursuits enclose the collective narrative making it divisive and destructive. Cinema exposes the vulnerability of human nature by telling stories in their simplest form as they are lived.
It [cinema] allows us to know each other better, in a way it is best placed to sustain a collective counter-narrative that speaks to the larger nature of humankind, a narrative that brings to the fore humanity's immense capacity for compassion, unity and brotherhood.
Meeting the world at the world of cinema is the call of the day, not just meeting, but also using the power of cinema as a vehicle for people of different culture, colour, caste and religion to better understand each other.
We have not been able to come here for some time, meet you all. But now the world is moving towards normal [amid the pandemic]. We are all very happy. I have no objection in telling you that whatever the world does, you, me and everybody will stay positive. Zinda hai (alive).
Cinema is perhaps the most important medium of modern times. From inception, humanity has been expressing and sharing its journey. Like cave paintings left behind for us to marvel at thousands of years later.
The enduring printed work or the different forms of traditional theatre that prevail for centuries across the world. Cinema, or in fact the advent of articulation through social media platforms, have now become the foremost expression of human experience and emotions.
Let's come together and build a better world for all future generations through the medium of cinema.
Let KIFF [the Kolkata film festival] and Kolkata be the place to start the journey for a new and more inclusive world.
