Spending hours on social media, peeping into people's lives, sharing likes and comments triggered a thought of how the word "Entertainment" has evolved over the years.
When my parents were young, they enjoyed stories narrated by their grandma. When my grandma was young, she made it a point to enjoy the temple yard entertainment including harikatha, Bharatanatyam, music concerts, and so on. The activity that holds the attention of the audience has undergone a drastic change.
Today's crowd, who enjoys social media, is unaware of the gatherings in the house's front yard, playing on streets, whispering, gossiping, etc. The ones who watch their favorite shows on the OTT platforms have not enjoyed the fun of whistles in the nearby tent or overcrowded theatre. They even have lost the madness of the “first day, first show”.
The ones who wait for weekend parties to dance and sway in the pubs are clueless about the fun during Ganesh Visarjan. The ones who keep the track of reality shows have not witnessed the fun of stage performances, be that dance, drama, or music concerts. The ones who watch videos online or listen to audiobooks don't know the joy of reading books, keeping track of their favorite authors’ novels, or waiting for a monthly magazine.
We have moved away from bhajans and harikatha, which today are confined to a small group of orthodox individuals. The shopping freaks who love roaming around in the mall have lost the fun of waiting for fairs in their hometown. The amusement parks have brought down the glory of games in exhibitions.
The increasing comforts in today's world have brought down the fun of looking forward to entertainment. The loss of waiting time has even toned down the excitement of getting excited. I am sure most of the kids of the 60s to 90s would agree with this thought; the lost wait time is the lost fun and the lost entertainment altogether.
Thus, the very word ‘entertainment has evolved as a huge industry today. Synergized with technical advancement, the public entertainment which led to thousands of crowd gatherings today has trickled down to a smartphone. From organizing an event to casting, technology takes over everything from scheduling to performing every little thing.
Perhaps entertainment is a livelihood for the majority of the fellowmen who are creative. Today, it is one of the most respected professions, unlike the yesteryears when people struggled to make their ends meet with their art. The evolving entertainment industry, especially the Film World, is the top-ranked interest of the youngsters. The young folk are more influenced and inclined towards the entertainment industry. No doubt this is a promising platform in the long run.
Written By - Dr. Nayana Shree S.
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