TIL Desk Bollywood/ Aspiring to cross the glorified figure of Rs 100 crore at the box office is proving to be a “poison” for the Indian film industry, says acclaimed veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, who believes making content-based movies more economically will be a step in the right direction.
Just last month, Naseeruddin featured in two films — ‘The Blueberry Hunt’ and ‘Waiting’. ‘The Blueberry Hunt’ just came and went, but ‘Waiting’ — a story on a special bond established by two people from different walks of life, who befriend each other in a hospital while nursing their respective comatose spouses — found many takers.
“This Rs 100 crore club has poisoned our filmmaking sensibility. It is as if we are finally admitting the real reason why we make movies… It is important that content-based movies must be made economically,” Naseeruddin told.
His reason: “You cannot expect a guy who plies a rickshaw or works on the road all day to go and see films like ‘Waiting’. He will not. He will go and see a ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ or a ‘Happy New Year’ because he needs that.
“You cannot expect him to see a film about his own life … It’s unfair to even expect it,” said the 66-year-old, who in his four decade-old career, has featured in a mix of commercially entertaining as well as niche movies. He doubts if niche movies would ever appeal to labourers and factory workers.
