Cinema today has come a long way from the early days of 'Silent Pictures'. The true to life sets, dramatic screen plays, photographic techniques, acting histrionics and their portrayal on a 70 mm screen, with digital sound effect in plush multiplexes, have made cinema an ideal medium for entertainment and education. Because of its mirrors their social values and ethos. It shows us the true picture of life. The evils of society , are vividly portrayed on screen, making it a powerful medium for social change. There is no disputing the fact, that cinema offers an easy, and affordable means of entertainment to the masses. After a day of hard work, they are able to escape from the tension and worries of life. To others it is an escape from boredom. The true to life portrayal of characters, provoke our emotions, moving us to tears, laughter, thrill or even shock. They thus cater to a variety of our tastes, interest and moods. It is also a very powerful tool for education. The audio-visual mode of presentation leaves an indelible on our memory and makes learning a pleasant experience. This is for we get to see and hear about different people, places, and customs leading to a better understanding and assimilation of ideas and knowledge. It gives life like reality to the dead pages of history, by bringing to life the hearos of the past. Thus pictures like Gandhi, Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Mughal-e-Azam give valuable insight about these great people, their struggle, aspirations and ideology. Such pictures promote brotherhood, communal harmony nationalism, by reminding us of our rich cultural heritage. Cinemas is a very powerful tool for social change as it effectively reflects the evil prevailing in the society. The effective portrayal of social malpractices like unsociability, sati pratha, dowry, child labor and corruption pricks our conscience. It is also an excellent medium of propaganda. The advertisement and endorsements help in promoting the sale of goods and services. The government also uses it, to promote social harmony and health care. Thus documentaries creating awareness for prevention of AIDS, Polio and other information to benefit the society, are effectively dissipated through this medium. The fashion industry owes its genesis and growth to cinema. It sets the fashion trends for the youth, who imitate the dresses and hairstyles of popular film stars. The popularity of this media has led to some unscrupulous mandarins of cinema, exploiting it for personal gains. Thus unwarranted scenes of sex and violence, are displayed to draw the crowd which fetch them to moolah. They contend that these are essential for a film to be realistic and viable. This is indeed a very frivolous and irresponsible argument, for such acts corrupt the youth, and society. They resort to such tactics, to cover up the weak story line, lack of creativity and direction. This has been amply proved , by the resounding success of good film, that do not resort to such cheap gimmickry. The censor board plays an important role in censoring films that are in bad taste. Realizing the significant role of Cinema in entertainment and education. The government has setup a separate unit, the Film Division, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The Film Division helps in the production and distribution of good pictures, to the general public. This itself is ample proof of the significant role played by cinema in entertainment and education.