Veteran actor Paresh Rawal is not pleased with the content generated by Indian cinema today. The movies may be minting money and making it to the 100 crore club but, according to him, the quality of content has tremendously deteriorated. For him, comparison with Hollywood is just a longshot, Bollywood isn’t even in a position to compare itself to Pakistani dramas when it comes to content. Rawal spoke to Ahmedabad Times in a candid interview, while promoting his upcoming film Raja Natwalal, starring Emraan Hashmi and Humaima Malik in lead roles, reported the Times of India.
Rawal calmly sat in his hotel room, as he opened up about the one thing he is the most passionate about — films. The versatile actor holds a strong opinion on where the Indian cinema is headed and feels great disdain towards how a film is judged and the various aspects of films and filmmaking today.
So do you think the audiences are taken for granted, unlike Hollywood, as we get to see a lot of logic-defying movies?
Forget Hollywood, we cannot even compare our films to Pakistani shows. They are far more superior to what we produce here. We need to work on our content here. We need to make some more smart films where we don’t take our audience for granted and think that they will not understand what we want to convey. And this is what attracted me to Raja Natwarlal. Con films genre is one genre that hasn’t been explored much and there is a lot of scope in this genre.
You have done a variety of roles. Is there a time when you feel that you have done everything?
As long as I am getting good work, I’ll never feel that I have done everything. The script is always bigger than the actor, and till I am getting good scripts, interesting stories and powerful characters, I will continue doing films. It is only when there is a dearth of good stories that an actor’s career comes to a standstill, and it’s not that it doesn’t happen, it happens a lot.
Most people make fun of the 100 crore pot-boilers, but they all go watch them. On the other hand, performance-oriented films hardly get any audience. Why?
The producers/exhibitors of these 100 crore films must be taking into the account the sale of popcorn-cola in the theatres. Crossing 100 crore is no benchmark of how the film is. Mein 100 crore ke bare mein nahi sochta. Acting is a very organic process for me and as an actor, you need to keep evolving and learning throughout your career. There is no certain point where you are complete as an actor. I also try to learn something from every actor I work with. The process should never come to an end.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2014.
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@someone: These dramas are still better than the horror shows of yours like in Gujarat 2002
Thats about it tho. And maybe u have more superiority in polio.
Nothing new about this. Indians always knew Pakistanis are good at "dramebazi". Check out the latest democracy dramebazi in Pakistan. IK and TUQ deserves the oscar for this epic directed by , you know who.
Personally I think the best stories are the ones that the people accept. Storylines are all fine but they are not islands. A storyline has to go hand-in-hand with various other parts to make a movie/drama successful. People will only accept a show that they find entertaining.
Daam was another good drama (which i personally think less known among best class), Maybe if Zindagi Channel to show that in their for Indian audience.
Bollywood is probably the only country in Asia that churns out more films than any other surrounding country but vast quantity does not make good quality. Pakistan is seeing a resurrection of its film industry now only if the Government, the citizens and the local business would help encourage it the Pakistani film industry can be the slow winner in the film race. It has already won an Oscar and that too by a woman, I have see another film in Texas called JOSH by a female who worked endlessly against all odds to make her film happen, but there was tepid encouragement from her country fellows. The movie did not do well in Pakistan because the Pakistani movie going public want to see more sleaze...scantily clad women and gun carrying men and their intelligence has been put on hold after the endless Bollywood masala films being fed to them. India is watching Pakistani soaps and getting hooked cannot the Pakistani film industry do the same?
I'll fully agree with Mr. Paresh Rawal. There is no content in Bollywood films today. Just strip a heroin and make her dance to some crass song is the only thing Bollywood has reduced itself to today. If only Pak Film industry revives big time will Bollywood know what they are reduced to.
@saifullah: And you dont forget to spend your valuable time on Pakistan either! Stop being jealous.
He is BJP MP.
he is trying to sell his movie in your country and what did you expect. just dont forget to spend all your money( american aid) on "raja natwarlal" movie. pak tv series are better, they claim and yet they beg their enemies for work in film industry. if you have any real talent, compete with your muslim neighbors like Turkey, Iran, Egypt etc. their programs are far more superior than yours.
I think our TV shows and music are usually better, and their movies are usually better.
..."Pakistani dramas are far more superior to..." (whoever or whatever) ... and just WHO would dare disagree? Coz, Pak dramas are for REAL ... evidence: the goings on in Islamabad these days courtesy PTI, PAT, PML, Pak-Army, ???, ??? .... etc etc ... ETC...!!
@just_someone: Actually, you're not quite right there. Check around you and you'll find that the average Pakistani watches Indian movies and Indian TV shows, and listens to Indian music. But I do agree with what Paresh Rawal has said here. Pakistani dramas are much better than the Indian shows and even many of the Indian movies. The reason behind that being that Pakistani shows aren't made to drive TRPs or box-office revenues (for obvious reasons), and hence, the makers are under no pressure to resort to gimmicky scripts and plots.
So the right thing to say would be that the average Indian movies are made for the average Indian and the average Pakistani. Pakistani shows are made for select section of the Pakistani population. Incidentally, some well-made Pakistani shows are now quite popular among a similar, select demographic in the Indian TV show market. Cheers.
It is sad state of affairs when even a man like Paresh Rawal with unlimited talent can't be utilized properly ..he has at least 100 good movies in him but no one has bothered to write a role for him.
Paresh Rawal is an amazing character actor.
I still remember his role from Hera Pheri. All the funny lines came out from random situations
Bollywood movies are superficial and superfluous, extravagant and devoid of any content and substance, storyline, script and depth. You are absolutely right Paresh Rawal.
Truth has been spoken.
Indian movies are made for the average Indian and Pakistani shows are made for the average Pakistani :)
Totally correct, music is much, much better too.