Amitabh Bachchan shared his perspective on the debate between Bollywood and South cinema. He also shed light on how cinema affects society and vice versa.
On Saturday, megastar Amitabh Bachchan participated in the inauguration ceremony of the Symbiosis Film Festival in Pune, organized by Symbiosis International University, where he was accompanied by his wife-veteran actress, Jaya Bachchan. The actor, in his speech, asserted that the film industry is frequently held responsible for influencing the nation's morality, but he argued that society has consistently been the source of inspiration for cinema.
The 'Sholay' actor expressed, "Many times, the film industry comes under a lot of criticism and faces accusations that it is responsible for changing the morals of the country and the attitudes of the people. I’m sure Jaya, who has formally studied at the Institute (FTII), would endorse the fact that stories and films are created from experiences observed in nature, in the world, and in everyday life, and that becomes our inspiration."
He also shared his perspective on the Bollywood vs. South film industry debate, and revealed that regional filmmakers have acknowledged remaking some of his popular films. Here's what he has to say about it.
During his address, the 81-year-old actor praised Malayalam and Tamil films for their authenticity. "Regional cinema has been doing very well. But when we talk to them, they say they are making the same kind of films that we do in Hindi. They just change the dressing so that they look beautiful. A lot of the people I’ve met said, 'We are remaking your old films; there’s 'Deewar,' 'Shakti,' and 'Sholay' somewhere in all our stories.' Malayalam and some of the Tamil cinema are authentic and aesthetic. This whole idea of pointing fingers at a particular region and saying that unki acchi chal rahi hai, humari nahi (they are better than us) is not right," he added.
Big B also went on to reminisce about how his late father, the renowned poet and writer Harivansh Rai Bachchan, would repeatedly watch films, and added how "cinema in itself has its own power." He added, "During the last years of my father’s life, every evening he would watch a film on television on cassette. Many times, the films that he saw were repeated. I asked him every evening, 'You have watched the film; don’t you get bored? What do you find in Hindi cinema?' He said, 'I'd get to see poetic justice in three hours. You and I will not get to see poetic justice in a lifetime.' And that is the learning that cinema gives to all."
Work wise, Amitabh Bachchan has a series of projects lined up his way. He has 'Kalki 2898 AD' with Prabhas and Deepika Padukone, and 'Vettaiyan' with Rajinikanth, which marks his Tamil film debut.