The actor-producer on what works with the audiences and why it’s necessary to have strong emotions backing up any story
Edited excerpts:
One of the theories is that the masala-pan has been missing in Hindi cinema for a long time — the slightly larger-than-life quality, sentimentality, mother figure… the elements that made up films like Deewar and Trishul.
That’s true. I feel that if the story is universal, by that, I mean, emotionally it touches the heart of a larger group of people. A mother-son emotion, e.g., is a deep-rooted emotion. Somewhere in Hindi cinema we as creative people have started selecting films that are increasingly niche. I feel every filmmaker has the right to choose what he wants to make. But then you should also be aware that if you’re choosing a subject, it’s a niche one. I must not imagine that I’m making a mainstream film, and I must be aware that most of the masses won’t relate to the topic. That is happening, I agree.
So, when you see many movies flopping or a Gangubai Kathiawadi or a Kashmir Files succeeding, what’s the kind of message the masses are saying? What kind of movie do they want to see?
I think the audience is happy to see any kind of movie. When you’re promoting a movie you’re kind of telling them what it is. When you make an action movie, you promote it as one, and it’s evident from the trailer too. What I’m saying is that irrespective of genre, there has to be an emotional connection. As an audience member, I wouldn’t be interested if it’s just the action happening without the emotions. Look at Ghajini; it’s an action film. But why is the action happening? It’s happening because of the deep emotion, this love story between two people, and the action happens because one of them gets killed. And that I want to see as an audience because I’m upset. The heart of Ghajini is a love story. The action is the second layer. I think South Indian films have that, they’re connected to their audiences. Perhaps we have lost that connection and need to re-look at that. The South films are teaching us that.
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