Mumbai: Filmmaker Nandita Das says it is extremely important for the society to
foster a climate where there is space for differences of opinion as it
is the only way one can grow.
Das, who was at the receiving end
with her film "Firaaq" which chronicled the Gujarat riots, says a group
of people cannot decide what others can or cannot see.
"We have
to have the space for dissent, disagreement. A society, a human being
can only grow when you have that space for difference of opinion to
foster. There are civil ways of sharing. Now with social media, anybody
and everybody can share their thoughts...," Das said in a media
interaction.
"There are some TV shows, I don't like at all. I
find them regressive but am I going to break the TV, catch you by the
throat and say 'don't see it'? I will tell my friends, write about it.
Let's use those platform to share our dissent."
The filmmaker said there should be a civil way of disagreeing.
"What
you may be offended by I may really like, what I may get offended by...
So who's to decide? Is there going to be a small group of people who
will decide what 1.2 billion must watch and read and do?
"I have always spoken for freedom of expressions, even when I've
disagreed over something. Even if there is something on Nathuram Godse,
I may completely disagree with the ideology because I believe with time
only good survives... Everything is available on the internet anyway.
What are we going to censor?"
She was present at 'Films For Change' campaign launch of 'Good Pitch India' hosted by The Indian Documentary Foundation.
PTI
