Edu Pushed to Periphery as Campuses Turn into Cinema Screens

Educational campuses — meant to be citadels of learning, debate, physical and intellectual growth — are increasingly being converted into glamorous venues for film promotion, with movie personalities air-dashing from one institution to another to market their upcoming releases.

Audio launches, music shows, pre-release events, post-release celebrations and so-called “success meets” are now routinely hosted inside college premises, blurring the line between education and entertainment. Tinsel town targets teenage students, putting them at the centre of aggressive marketing campaigns that prioritise fandom and instant hype over critical thinking and education.

Historically, Kollywood films have played an important role in shaping politics in Tamil Nadu, thinning the boundary between popular culture and public power. From the 1950s onward, film became a powerful medium to communicate social justice, Tamil identity and Dravidian ideology to the masses.

Charismatic screen personas, notably from MG Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi to Vijay, were seamlessly converted into political capital, enabling actors to build emotional bonds with voters far stronger than conventional politicians. Dialogues, songs and on-screen heroism reinforced political messaging, turning cinema halls into informal political classrooms.

Tamil Nadu’s rationalist legacy stagnated without evolving into deeper intellectual traditions, allowing cinema and religion to dominate universities. In the absence of thinkers, celebrities and mythology now shape young minds, said senior advocate K Elangovan.

Over decades, this fusion of stardom and politics has influenced electoral outcomes, leadership cults and governance styles, making Tamil Nadu a unique example of cinema-driven mass politics in India.

What was once an occasional cultural interaction has turned into a full-fledged promotional circuit for the film industry off late. Campuses are no longer spaces where students engage with ideas, research, mental and physical growth and innovation; instead, they are being transformed into captive crowds for publicity campaigns for tinseltown. Classrooms fall silent not for examinations or academic seminars, but for star appearances, loud music, promotional speeches and choreographed fan frenzy.

The adverse impact of these events is far deeper than a few hours of disruption. Academic schedules are routinely altered, classes are suspended, laboratories remain unused and libraries are emptied. Faculty members are forced to adjust syllabi and compress coursework, while students are encouraged — explicitly or implicitly — to prioritise celebrity worship over academic discipline. Education is pushed to the backstage, while cinema takes centre stage on many occasions.

More worrying is the psychological and social impact on students. Instead of being inspired to become scientists, entrepreneurs, teachers or civil servants, students are being moulded into ardent and hardcore fans of actors. The messaging at these events rarely focuses on learning, values or social responsibility. Instead, it glorifies stardom, box-office success, hero worship and blind loyalty. Campuses that should nurture critical thinking are inadvertently breeding unquestioning fandom.

Educational activist Prince Gajendra Babu said conducting Seminars, workshops, protests, demonstrations and various other forms including the cultural and art events are part of the university culture. In recent years all these activities have been replaced with film stars conducting or participating in the college events mostly connected with audio launch, film promotion and talk shows.

These shows only encourage the formation of cults which celebrate their heroes - male or female. And stardom leads to hero worship. The stardom is antithesis to democracy. It is better for the film stars, who cannot give their opinions on critical socio-economic issues, to keep themselves away from educational campuses.

The film industry’s promotional machinery has grown so aggressive that colleges are seen as ideal marketing zones — large numbers, guaranteed attendance and a youthful demographic that can amplify content on social media. In return, institutions receive publicity, fleeting media attention and the illusion of being “happening campuses.” But this short-term visibility comes at the cost of long-term academic credibility.

Audio launches and pre-release events bring logistical nightmares: overcrowding, security risks, traffic disruptions and noise pollution. Post-release and success events extend the damage by normalising repeated interruptions under the pretext of celebration. For many students, especially first-generation learners, these disruptions eat into precious instructional time that cannot be easily recovered.

Tamil Nadu has a proud legacy of education-driven social mobility. Colleges have historically been platforms for social reform, rational thought and political awakening rooted in ideas — not personalities. Turning these spaces into film promotion centres undermines that legacy. Education is not entertainment; it is an investment in the intellectual capital of the state.

Institutions of higher learning exist to shape informed citizens, not fan clubs. The primary duty of colleges is to impart knowledge, skills and values that equip students to navigate an increasingly complex world. When education is diluted by commercial interests, students pay the price — not immediately, but in lost opportunities, weakened foundations and misplaced aspirations.

There is an urgent need for regulatory clarity and institutional introspection. Government and College managements must draw firm boundaries between cultural engagement and commercial promotion. Authorities governing higher education should issue clear guidelines restricting film promotional events on campuses, especially those that disrupt academic functioning.

Both film production houses and educational institutions appear to be engaging in a mutual pursuit of publicity, often at the cost of the academic purpose such campuses are meant to serve.

Cinema has its place, and art deserves appreciation. But education must come first. Campuses should echo with debate, inquiry and innovation — not promotional slogans and fan chants. If colleges surrender their core purpose to celebrity culture, the cost will be borne not just by students, but by the future of the state itself.

Students are the future citizens of the country, and it raises a serious question as to how educational campuses can permit film promotional activities that distract them from their academic PURSUIT.

In Tamil Nadu, cinema has long influenced society, but today it appears to dominate it. When educational campuses are reduced to film promotion arenas and students are encouraged to cheer stars instead of chasing knowledge, the line between culture and compromise is dangerously crossed.

A state that once used education as a tool of empowerment now risks allowing cinema to dictate its priorities. If this trend continues unchecked, classrooms will fade into the background while celebrity culture takes the front row and an outcome that Tamil Nadu, with its rich legacy of learning and social reform, can ill afford.