Narcotics is a dirty business,but it is not a new generation phenomenon

Narcotics is a dirty business,but it is not a new generation phenomenon

Malayalam cinema has never shied away from themes dealing with  drug or alcohol abuse in one form or another. At a time when all hell  has broken loose following the arrest of a prominent young actor in a  cocaine case,it has become a hotly debated topic once again. A host of  veteran filmmakers have come down heavily on the so called new  generation filmmakers and actors for promoting or justifying drug use  in their movies.Though there is a tendency for blanket generalization  and painting of all the new and emerging talent with the same brush ,it cant be denied that there is a spurt in movies that glorify drug or  alcohol use.    

It is not as if this is a new phenomenon in Malayalam cinema.We  have memories of many black and white cinemas which dealt with drug  abuse that was prevalent during those times.There was no problem  whatsoever in characters showing propensity towards drug abuse.In that  classic K.G.George movie 'Irakal' we see the protagonist character  played by Ganesh Kumar being under the influence of drugs which  accentuate his criminal behavior.    

In Hariharan-M.T team's 'Amrutham Gamaya' we see the character of  Mohanlal using intravenous drugs to get over the bitter memories and  pangs of his abominable past.It was a sheer delight to watch and no  viewer would have felt any affinity for drugs seeing the movie

'Irupatham Noottandu' the cult classic which saw Mohanlal at his  absolute best,there is a dialogue that he utters,'Narcotics is a dirty  business'. Eventhough his character Sagar alias Jacky is a smuggler  and criminal he turns his back on narcotic business which results in  the protagonist-antagonist conflict in the movie.Even Padmarajan's 'Season' showed the ill effects of drug use especially related to tourism.    

Later we saw the Jayaraj directed movie 'Johnny Walker' which  presented Mammootty in an absolutely stylish avatar. The basic premise  of the movie itself is based on drug abuse. The stylish villain Swamy a drug addict was a rage among the youth of that era. If we go into details we can see that many movies have dealt with themes that have drug as a  prominent factor.  New generation and drugs.      

The debate changed and there was a visible tilt towards  conscious or unconscious justification of drug or alcohol use in many  movies.We see heroes roaming around with alcohol bottles and gulping  down gallons of liquor,as though it is  easier to drink it than  pure  water.      

The debut vehicle of Dulquer Salmaan 'Second Show' itself dealt with ill effects of drug usage and peddling. Then we saw movies like 'Honey Bee' in which characters go on a drinking binge and though drug  use is not directly shown implications are obvious. Films like 'Idukki Gold, 'Kili poyi' etc. are classic examples of films which overtly or inadvertently glorified drug use.  

The fault is not in showing characters using drugs or alcohol, but it lies in the indirect promotion of drug use through scenes which give the susceptible youngsters an impression that using  drugs is not a big deal after all. Some films even give the impression that drug use sparks off creativity and the widespread acceptability of movies  of that sort show that things have gotten out of hand of late.    

If the charges of widespread drug use among new generation filmmakers is true, it has to be looked into. And there is absolutely no reason to believe that affinity for drugs is a new found phenomenon as is being made out in certain quarters. Rotten eggs have always been  there and to say that current generation of filmmakers is the cause of all that is bad is a case of missing the wood for the trees.      

Films dont exist in a vaccum and they are a reflection of the society we live in. If films with overt scenes of drug abuse are being welcomed with both hands, it shows that the malaise has crept into the  vitals of our society. The holier than thou attitude of some veteran filmmakers and actors in this matter is just an eyewash. Ultimately narcotics is a dirty business, and concerted efforts have to be made to root them out of our society, not just films.