Actors Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Karan Johar spoke about the changes in Indian cinema in New Delhi on November 21.
The actors presented their views while Johar played the moderator at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit held at the Taj Palace Hotel.
Khan, who has earned the ‘perfectionist’ tag with films such as Lagaan and Taare Zameen Par, said “cinema is going through a period of change and transformation”. “The late ’70s and ’80s, which was the disco era, was disappointing. I feel that from the late ’80s onwards, there has been a gradual change. The definition of mainstream cinema is constantly changing and has widened now. The audience is also changing,” Khan said.
However, he expressed disappointment at the trend of buying editorial space for positive reviews for upcoming movies and the rat race for soaring box office collections.
“The emphasis is more on box office collection. I don’t blame the audience but the filmmakers. Top filmmakers and actors are selecting scripts to bust the Rs1 billion mark. They are scared to experiment. But cinema is an art. Film should allow creativity and the story should rule the heart,” he said. “There is also a trend of buying editorial space to promote films, which is wrong,” he added.
Johar said: “Filmmakers and production house is to blame... point noted.”
Learning curve
Padukone discussed how being an outsider from the film industry helped her grow and learn from her experiences. “Not having a film background helped me learn. Everything I have learnt is due to the time I have spent on the sets, through interactions and also by my mistakes. People talk about my successful films, but I have also given back-to-back flops. That phase has taught me a lot,” she said.
The actress spoke about how Bollywood objectifies men too. “Men are also objectified but we choose not to talk about it,” she said.
The Happy New Year actress said she takes competition in a sporting spirit. “Competition is good. It can be productive and we can learn a lot from it,” she said.
There were light moments during the session, with Johar asking Padukone about Katrina Kaif’s perfornance in Dhoom: 3.
Padukone is Ranbir Kapoor’s ex-girlfriend while Kaif is rumoured to be dating the Barfi! actor now. However, Padukone praised Kaif. “I think Katrina is one of the most hardworking persons I have ever met. And I think she was fantastic in Dhoom: 3,” she said.
Another light moment was when Khan interrupted Johar for the second time, and the filmmaker said: “He [Aamir] is the new moderator and I am here only for glamour.”
Responsibility
Khan also insisted that entertainment was not the end of their responsibility. “Our responsibility is to create heroes, motivate people, touch the good and make you glow. It is to infuse fresh oxygen into this country,” he said.
The two-day Leadership Summit also includes talks by world leaders and Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former politician and action star posted a picture on Twitter with Khan. “It was fantastic to meet you! You’re a real star, with success at the box office and all the awards,” he said.
