Senior actor-director Amol Palekar with writer and columnist Balaji Vittal during The Hindu Lite for Life dialogue in Bengaluru on Friday. | Photo credit: K. Murali Kumar
Actor-director Amol Palekar of Hindi and Marathi cinema says he cannot relate to the current trend of judging films based on box office numbers. speaking in Hindu Prakash for Life Dialogue at Christ (considered a university) in Bengaluru, the filmmaker said that box office results are not the ultimate criteria for analyzing a film.
‘Today, people are curious to know whether a film has entered the Rs 100 crore club. Pushpa 2 was in the news for its box office numbers. Why should we focus only on the commercial success of the film? Money is important, but it is not everything when talking about art,” he said at the ‘A Life in Cinema’ session hosted by writer and columnist Balaji Vittal.
“As a filmmaker, I believe in experimenting with subjects. I valued how I executed my ideas and what I achieved from my script,” he added.
In the session, Palekar discussed the highlights of his memoirs, The Visionary: A Memoir. actor of little thing (1975)Chichor (1976), and golmal (1978)He said he considered himself an outsider who found strength in theater and films.
‘I am not a trained actor. For many years, those who made it big in cinema graduated from the National School of Drama. I was not part of NSD. I didn’t even go to the film institute. This kind of background helped me to work with complete freedom. I didn’t have a bag to carry,’ he said.
Mr. Palekar said that filmmakers should offer something new to the present generation. “We have changed as a society. I am sure that today’s audience will like the simplicity of the films of yesteryear. Today’s youth have a huge exposure to movies from all over the world. Instead of milking nostalgia, we should try to give something new to the audience. We should try to maintain our Indianness, stay connected to our roots and do something different in cinema,” he said.
The veteran credits his development as an artist to theater greats Shombu Mitra and Badal Sarkar and filmmakers Basu Chatterjee, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Biplab Roy Chaudhary and Tapan Sinha. Mr. Palekar said that the courage he used as an actor helped him build a versatile career.
“When I played the villain the role (1976), People felt it was a big risk. I was a budding hero at that stage. However, I wanted to break my boy-next-door image. Also in Ankahi (1985), I have played a character with gray shades. I’m glad I chose a variety of characters.
published – December 20, 2024 at 09:56 pm IST