The film industry in India has always prided itself on the fact that our movies address specific problems of the society and have themes that try to root out social evils. Revolving around the evergreen theme of Prince Charming and Cinderella, many Indian movies have skillfully interwoven the grappling issues of society in context.

Look back at the good old days of sentimental melodrama of the Bollywood fifties sixties and you will find the likes of Sujatha topping the list! The servant’s daughter is driven out for being wooed by the son of the house, but returns at the climax to donate blood to the family member! Moral of the story - blood doesn’t discriminate between the castes! This film was even screened in many schools across the country to spread awareness about the caste discrimination in the country. Coming to South India, you saw similar themes enacted by the veteran actors like Prem Nasir, Sarada and other actors of their genre. This trend has developed through the decades with just the circumstances of the hero and heroine changing to address the problems of the day. We also had poignant movies that portrayed unemployment and the problem of the jobless young man and the red tape that has tied itself round our bureaucrats.

That is, until recently. Two Malayalam movies released in 2006 and which drew quite large crowds to the theaters sets you thinking about the messages we get from the silver screen and the impact it could have on our society.

Chintamani Kola Case (Chintamani Murder Case) and Chess, starring Suresh Gopi and Dileep respectively addresses the crimes of today’s society for sure. But do we really need to tackle it the way these heroes do in their respective movies? Does murder solve it all?

Suresh Gopi, a reputed lawyer, the aide and ally of criminals and rapists, rescues them from the clutches of the law to teach them a lesson himself. In other words, brutally murder them. And so does common-man Dileep, though for a different reason - he is avenging the murder of his parents!

We have seen similar plots before, for example, Naduvazhikal starring Mohanlal, but the hero surrenders to the police after his purpose is done. And in Kireedam, you had Mohanlal serving a sentence in prison for killing the town goon on the spur of an emotional moment!

The striking fact about Chess and Chintamani Kola Case is the fact that the murderers go scot-free despite the best efforts of the police force. Admittedly, the police are not portrayed as the best examples of righteousness, but the earlier movies at least sent it across that you need to abide by the law or face the consequences.

Most of these movies hit the theatres under the banner of ‘Family Entertainers’ and subsequently have children and teenagers forming a bulk of the audience. Are they sufficiently aware of the fact that it is not possible to escape the law unlike their stars on the screen? More disturbing is the very message that comes across to the audience. Not only can you get away with your revenge, but it is also the right and only way to deal with criminals and perverts.

This brings us to the timeless chicken-egg question: Are movies reflecting the violence in the society or are the people taking cue from the movies? We have heard of teenagers resorting to killing and plundering in the West, allegedly re-enacting scenes from Holly wood movies. Should we now start contemplating such a situation in our country now?

It is important for the media to send the message across that crime invites and deserves punishment, irrespective of the perpetrator. Otherwise, we might just be in store for more shocks from a desensitized generation and might just have to see more incidents like the murder of a school master in front of his students in Kerala or that of a politician at the hands of his own brother in Mumbai.