Veteran actress Shabana Azmi feels that casting directors are playing a huge part in today’s filmmaking process.
“I feel Indian cinema is going through a phase of change because people are realising that content is king. Filmmakers are giving a lot of attention towards writing,” said Azmi, talking about growth of Indian cinema at an event along with husband Javed Akhtar in Mumbai. Azmi noted that casting directors, in particular, are now playing a huge part in filmmaking process.
“I feel happy about the fact that the level of acting has scaled a different level because people are understanding the importance of casting directors. Even if an actor has to deliver only two lines in a film, casting directors are making sure that the actors look believable on-screen. Earlier that never used to happen,” she said.
“There were actors who would be typecast in certain roles but now really good actors are being brought in the ecosystem. So, the main actors also get inspiration from them to do their work honestly,” Azmi added.
Azmi’s husband, poet-lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar, was also present at the event. He spoke about the need to look at the good work being done in the industry today.
“I honestly feel every generation makes good and bad films. There are some really good films being made today, such as ‘Article 15’, ‘Super 30’, ‘Udaan’, ‘Andhadhun’, ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ and ‘Gully Boy’. Even the dialogues (in these films) are real. We no longer get to hear typical dialogues of the films of the eighties and the nineties,” said Akhtar.
