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India isn't like a Salman Khan movie, says Naseeruddin Shah

India isn't like a Salman Khan movie, says Naseeruddin Shah

The veteran actor believes that cinema serves as a record of time and should be treated as such
29 Oct, 2018

Naseeruddin Shah doesn't seem like a Salman Khan fan - or maybe it's just his films.

In his latest interview the actor says cinema is a record of a time and people and films should reflect that rather than showing song and dance.

“I feel that cinema can’t change society or bring a revolution. I’m also not sure of cinema as a medium of education. Documentaries can be educative, not feature films. People see them and forget. The only serious function films can serve is to act as a record of their times,” said the actor.

Shah says it's his 'responsibility' to do films like A Wednesday and his recent short film, Rogan Josh. “I consider it my responsibility to take part in such films. All my serious works are a representative of their times. Cinema will survive. These films would be seen 200 years later.”

He added, “People should know what the India of 2018 was like. They shouldn’t end up seeing only Salman Khan films 200 years later. India is not like that. Cinema is for posterity.”

The 68-year-old explained that when he was approached to feature in Rogan Josh, a story about a veteran chef who works at Taj Hotels, he was instantly on board.

“If there’s a young man trying to make a song and dance film, I wouldn’t give him a second. But here was a young man trying to make a film on a subject he believes should be made. I am totally for first timers. I always hear them seriously. I have done so many films with first timers and I’ve never regretted it.”

What Shah loves about working in short films is that “there’s no pressure of producers sitting on these filmmakers head and telling them who the hero should be and what kind of songs (should be used). They have the freedom to make the kind of film they want to make without the worry of the box office.”

Comments

Omar Oct 29, 2018 12:39pm
Movies are for entertainment, they are not National geographic channel. So it will involve song and dance to entertain masses. If he doesnt like his song and dance sequence he has option to skip it.
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RAW IS WAR Oct 29, 2018 02:32pm
I you have only luck and no Talent - you are Jitendra. If you have luck and talent- Amitabh Bachhan. Only talent and no luck- Naseeruddin shah.
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Khalid Oct 29, 2018 03:00pm
To Omar. Where do the contents of National Geographic comes from? Without thoughtful producers there won’t much to watch on NG channels
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