Movies are our windows into what could be instead of what is. That’s why we tolerate so many exaggerations and creative liberties in them because films (Foreign or Indian) would get boring quite fast if they were accurate about everything, after all, films are fantasy worlds. But the problem is when these often repeated misconceptions in films are so prevalent that people start believing them as true. This affects our perception of the world but also creates issues during real-time crisis situations in some extreme cases. Here are some filmy myths:
1 That’s Not How Chloroform Works– In the films, it is shown that Chloroform can make someone unconscious instantly. In reality, chloroform does not work that way. It is true that it is incredibly good at knocking someone out even in small doses-it does not do instantly. Even in higher doses, it takes at least five minutes to be effective. A couple of drops on a handkerchief-like they show in movies-is certainly not a high dose. It has many worthwhile properties-other than criminal activities as shown in the films- like being an anesthetic-which has been used throughout the years.
2 Cops Don’t Have To Read Your Rights While Handcuffing You– Whenever arrest is made in TV shows or movies-at least the one based in the USA- the cops always make it point to warn you about your rights-like you have the right to remain silent etc., to the suspect. But in reality, this is not the case. It is true that cops have to read you your rights at some point after you are arrested, it is almost never done at the time they handcuff you. Your rights are usually read to you after they have taken you into custody and are preparing for the interrogation or at some other point during the arrest.
3 Meteors Are Actually Freezing Cold– Although we think that all the meteors that make it to Earth’s surface are seething hot and burning- as shown in many films. In reality, most are not big enough to cause a global problem. If you know anything about space, then you will realise that those meteors are actually freezing cold in nature. The burning trail we see in the sky surrounding the meteor is the air catching fire around it.
4 No Gunshot Can Knock You Off Your Feet– This scene look quite dramatic and awesome on screen. However, it propagates a faulty idea of how guns are supposed to work, which is never a good thing. Gunshots in the movies are often enough to knock someone back, which sounds intuitive as bullets have a large amount of momentum. In reality, if guns were able to do that, they would exert an equal amount of force on the shooter. That is true for all guns regardless of their type and caliber. If movies were to accurately portray that, they could end up unintentionally hilarious scenes of shooters getting knocked back along with their victims.
5 Dual-Wielding Guns (or Any Weapon) Are Impractical– Action movies would look very different without heroes dual-wielding a variety of Guns in their various fights. As it turns out, dual-wielding anything- let alone guns-is hugely impractical and actually reduces chances of landing a hit. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have two guns lying around and an evil villain to defeat, you are better off just picking one weapon. The effective number of bullets and accuracy are higher with one gun. This gives you more of a chance to kill the bad guy before he murders you.
6 You Can’t Pull A grenade Pin With Your Teeth– How films show that pulling the pin of a grenade with your teeth before throwing it is somehow a thing people can do. In real life, that is not how these weapons work. All grenades are full of shrapnel that can incapacitate and even kill if close enough-the targets, their pins are specifically designed not to come off easily. While some types of grenade pins are spread out wide, others require a bit of twisting and turning. In almost all cases, pulling the pins with your teeth will end up with you not having teeth anymore.
7 Quicksand Isn’t An automatic Death Sentence– If movies are to be believed, accidentally falling into quicksand without any help around is considered a sure way to die. This myth can cause problems in real life as people stuck in quicksand often panic and end up making things worse for themselves than they would if they knew how quicksand works. In essence, quicksand is just mud mixed with water (and clay in some cases). It can get a bit gooey and spoil your clothes if you fall into it. That’s the only risk it poses, though, as most types of quicksand allow you to float free once you are about waist-deep in it.
8 Sharks’ Sense Of Smell Has Been Massively Exaggerated– In the films, we generally see Sharks can smell a drop of blood from miles away, which has contributed to many people’s acute phobia of them. Actually, sharks have a keen sense of smell. All the studies conducted on sharks suggest that they can, at most, smell a drop of blood across an Olympic size swimming pool. It also depends on what they are smelling as their range drops of considerably if it is a denser liquid. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that sharks can not smell anything across miles of the ocean.
Waiting for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
30th December 2022
This is my last blog of the year 2022.
WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS 2023.