I have been fascinated by cinema right from my teenage days, like almost all youngsters of Kerala. Our state has a vibrant cinema culture, which includes movies that are blatantly commercial and those that are more creative. As my film viewing expanded during my college years, I realized I have an interest in both forms of cinema, and I discovered in myself a greater desire to communicate what I felt about the movies I watched. That was the beginning of the urge to become a film writer. By writing about cinema I felt that I was also becoming a part of this fascinating medium.

Over the years my writing about cinema has acquired a developmental angle also. India in its current phase is a progress-driven country. Our country is developing in various spheres, economic, social, and creative. Filmmaking and the film industry have kept pace with this progress. In short, our cinema is reaching out to new frontiers.

Naturally these changes have provided greater scope for articulation and expression to the film writer in me. So in a sense, when I write about cinema I not only fulfill the desire to share my appreciation of movies with the world at large but also make a contribution to the growth of my society and country.

Dileep M. M.
© FIPRESCI 2008

Dileep M. M. received his Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication at Bhavan's Rajendraprasad School of Journalism in Mumbai. He has a BA in Economics from Calicut University. He has written on the cinema and other arts for "The Public