- Saturday, February 22, 2025
The actor-filmmaker pointed out that “The Mehta Boys” embodied the type of heartfelt narrative that was prevalent during his time in the industry
By: India Weekly
VETERAN actor-filmmaker Amol Palekar expressed concern about the state of Hindi cinema during his appearance at ABP Network’s Ideas of India 2025 event on Friday.
He argued that the definition of a “good” film should not solely be based on its box office earnings, citing the recently released film “The Mehta Boys” as an example of the heartfelt storytelling that is lacking in current Hindi cinema.
“A film is more than the money that it has earned. Why do we associate good movies with their business? Is our understanding limited to the business a movie makes? We are often told that a film earned ₹4 billion or 5 billion, but a good film should not be about how much it has earned at the box office,” Palekar said, commenting on the declining quality of Hindi films.
He pointed out that “The Mehta Boys” embodied the type of heartfelt narrative that was prevalent during his time in the industry, lamenting that such films are not being made today.
“I feel we are unable to make such beautiful films today, and we rather make only one kind of factory churn out kind of films,” Palekar noted.
Palekar also discussed the widespread hype surrounding massive blockbusters like “Baahubali” and “RRR,” while smaller films with significant content often fade into obscurity.
He pointed to an OTT series “Manorathangal” based on the works of renowned Malayalam writer Vasudevan Nair, which featured prominent stars like Mammootty and Mohanlal. Despite its quality, Palekar suggested that such projects do not receive the same level of attention as blockbuster hits.
“An OTT platform made a serial based on a well-known writer from the Malayalam industry named, Vasudevan Nair, and it featured all the top stars including Mammootty, Mohanlal, and many others, and it was presented by Kamal Haasan. If a project like this is being made in the South, we must talk about it but we only talk about ‘Baahubali’ and ‘RRR’,” he remarked.
Addressing the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entertainment industry, the 80-year-old actor emphasized that while AI has advanced significantly, it cannot replace human creativity.
“AI is another step or big jump for the industry. A noted musician Zakir Hussain passed away recently, his tabla and the sound he created, can easily be recreated and reproduced through AI, but still, the tabla played by him will have a human effect. AI is created by a human being but it can’t replace human talent,” Palekar explained.
On the issue of films addressing societal matters, Palekar noted that media, too, has a role to play in initiating conversations on important topics, beyond the political news that dominates TV channels.
“Can the media not touch upon these topics? More than 90 per cent of the news on TV channels is political as if there’s nothing else than politics in our lives. Why? We can talk about all these issues, or other things like art, painting, and literature that will help us become better human beings. But instead of that, we talk about politics,” Palekar said.
Reflecting on his own career, Palekar said his films have always highlighted social issues, such as Alzheimer’s disease in “Dhoosar.”
He mentioned how his films “Thang” and “Daayraa” were not released in India due to their exploration of sensitive subjects like same-sex relationships and trans issues.
