5 times pop culture mirrored reality.
Times of Bennett | Updated: Sep 12, 2025 16:40
Correspondents: Vanya Chhabra & Megha Lahiri
Art doesn’t exist in isolation. We all know cinema reflects our society, but what if we say sometimes these films cut too close to reality? They hold up a mirror to our deepest social, political, and cultural dilemmas, daring to expose what society would rather forget. Let’s look at some powerful works that blurred the line between reel and real.
1. The Kashmir Files
With an IMDB ranking of 8.5/10, this film stirred emotions and brought back the horrors of 1989-90 exodus ofKashmiri Pandits . Fresh eyes portrayed the traumatic stories of those who were forced to flee their homes. The discussion that had been politically sidelined for decades was brought back into the mainstream, allowing multiple displaced families to share their stories. Kashmir files mirrored this political and social failure with utmost honesty.
2.Pink
Giving rise to the term “no means no”, this movie highlighted the everyday misogyny that turns victims into culprits. Real cases like the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape, 2024 Kolkata rape case and countless “character assassination” trials have shown how women’s dignity is often questioned instead of upheld. Pink mirrored this legal and social failure with searing honesty and brought to attention a powerful message - “Sometimes reality hides in plain sight.”
3. The Social Dilemma
This hybrid documentary dramatized how social media manipulates users by creating echo chambers, through algorithms that are designed to addict audiences. From Cambridge Analytica’s role in elections to rising teen anxiety, we live inside the dilemma it describes. “After watching the film you will immediately want to toss your smartphone into the garbage can.” quoted SrijitKris Gopalakrishnan , a writer at MEDIUM . In many ways, this movie predicted the conversations about ethics in tech that we’re still struggling to have.
4.Thappad
Art doesn’t need to shout to make a statement, sometimes, just one slap is enough. This movie echoed the reality of countless households where domestic abuse is dismissed as “normal” or “not serious.” With Taapsee Pannu’s quiet yet powerful performance, it mirrored the silence many women are forced to endure. By asking, “Bas itni si baat?” the film redefined the way India looks at abuse and consent within relationships.
5.Chernobyl
A retelling of the 1986 Soviet nuclear disaster, this series exposed cover-ups and revealing the extent of the true tragedy. Its relevance echoes in today’s crises, ranging from governments downplaying COVID-19 deaths to corporate greenwashing. This instinct to hide the truth has exacerbated public suffering. From firefighters sent unprotected to citizens evacuated far too late, it mirrored the human cost of negligence. The series resonates even today, leaving a stark reminder - ‘when truth is sacrificed for power the debt is always paid in lives.’
Being active viewers, we are always looking for movies that challenge our narrative and relate to our conscience. From courtroom dramas like Pink to global epics like Chernobyl, these stories prove that cinema ‘holds a mirror up to society. Forcing us to confront injustice and systemic failures we’d rather ignore. By blurring the line between reel and real, they ensure that truth never fades into darkness.
Vanya and Megha are second year BAMC students who never miss a chance to drop a Top 5 bombshell.
Art doesn’t exist in isolation. We all know cinema reflects our society, but what if we say sometimes these films cut too close to reality? They hold up a mirror to our deepest social, political, and cultural dilemmas, daring to expose what society would rather forget. Let’s look at some powerful works that blurred the line between reel and real.
1. The Kashmir Files
With an IMDB ranking of 8.5/10, this film stirred emotions and brought back the horrors of 1989-90 exodus of
2.
Giving rise to the term “no means no”, this movie highlighted the everyday misogyny that turns victims into culprits. Real cases like the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape, 2024 Kolkata rape case and countless “character assassination” trials have shown how women’s dignity is often questioned instead of upheld. Pink mirrored this legal and social failure with searing honesty and brought to attention a powerful message - “Sometimes reality hides in plain sight.”
3. The Social Dilemma
This hybrid documentary dramatized how social media manipulates users by creating echo chambers, through algorithms that are designed to addict audiences. From Cambridge Analytica’s role in elections to rising teen anxiety, we live inside the dilemma it describes. “After watching the film you will immediately want to toss your smartphone into the garbage can.” quoted Srijit
4.
Art doesn’t need to shout to make a statement, sometimes, just one slap is enough. This movie echoed the reality of countless households where domestic abuse is dismissed as “normal” or “not serious.” With Taapsee Pannu’s quiet yet powerful performance, it mirrored the silence many women are forced to endure. By asking, “Bas itni si baat?” the film redefined the way India looks at abuse and consent within relationships.
5.
A retelling of the 1986 Soviet nuclear disaster, this series exposed cover-ups and revealing the extent of the true tragedy. Its relevance echoes in today’s crises, ranging from governments downplaying COVID-19 deaths to corporate greenwashing. This instinct to hide the truth has exacerbated public suffering. From firefighters sent unprotected to citizens evacuated far too late, it mirrored the human cost of negligence. The series resonates even today, leaving a stark reminder - ‘when truth is sacrificed for power the debt is always paid in lives.’
Being active viewers, we are always looking for movies that challenge our narrative and relate to our conscience. From courtroom dramas like Pink to global epics like Chernobyl, these stories prove that cinema ‘holds a mirror up to society. Forcing us to confront injustice and systemic failures we’d rather ignore. By blurring the line between reel and real, they ensure that truth never fades into darkness.
Vanya and Megha are second year BAMC students who never miss a chance to drop a Top 5 bombshell.
