Mumbai: Veteran actor Actor Rishi Kapoor has said that it is important to recognise the role of artistes and cinema in the country as they have contributed immensely to its cultural, financial growth. The 67-year-old Rishi Kapoor completes 50 years in the industry next year.
“That is something the people have to say. I don’t. But I have to wait for you people to say that this man has been working for 50 years, but no one does that (talk about contribution),” Rishi said when asked whether he felt contented being close to such a milestone. “The government doesn’t. That’s the tragedy. The government changes but this sadness remains.”
The actor said it’s about time a culture is set in where people from the field of arts, culture and even business are given their due recognition from the government.
“I can talk about entertainment tax, how much we contribute. If cinema wasn’t there, a large chunk of money in the national treasury wouldn’t have been there. I am tired of saying this… acknowledge the role of artistes and cinema in the country. But they land on deaf ears, what can I do,” lamented Rishi.
Rishi will be next seen in The Body co-starring Emraan Hashmi and Sobhita Dhulipala. The film is scheduled to be released, December 13 and will be Rishi’s first film after recovering from cancer.
Rishi Kapoor believes that the audience today is more accepting of seeing senior actors in prominent roles on screen. This he said while talking about The Body directed by Jeethu Joseph. He said filmmakers have started to treat their films’ casts at par with each other.
“It’s a different scenario today. He (Joseph) has made a film with me and Emraan Hashmi where we both are playing important roles in the film. Today, it has become possible for me to do an important role which needs a senior actor,” Rishi pointed out.
He referenced to the casting controversy around Saand Ki Aankh and said the makers could have taken age-appropriate artistes as they would have looked the part.
“They had a controversy in Saand Ki Aankh, about the age. These two girls are young but they could’ve easily taken two senior actors and they would have looked the part more if not anything else,” asserted Rishi.
There was a row over casting of Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar as elderly sharpshooters in Saand Ki Aankh. Both the actors had responded to the controversy and said that ‘no one should be stopped from portraying any role’.
The actor said that there has been a shift in terms of storytelling, something that has highly influenced him and his choices as an artiste.
“The changes have come today, which weren’t there when I was a leading star. Unfortunately, (earlier) actors were slotted in their images, ‘action hero, romantic star, dancing hero’. For 25 years, all throughout my career, I was slotted as a ‘romantic’ hero,” Rishi said.
“Today when you see the new boys, my son, working in different kinds of films… Ranbir (Kapoor) did a Barfi. I could never do Barfi, Sanju or Rocket Singh in my time. I could never do these kinds of experimental films, which worked big time. I could never do films which Ayushmann Khurrana is doing. These are all content based films. It is really wonderful,” added Rishi.
“The audience isn’t expecting Ayushmann to don a jersey and go to Switzerland to sing a song. Today, films are coming without songs also. It’s a different trend. The audience is more liberal, they want to see better stuff not the same old stale stuff,” Rishi signed off.
Agencies
