|
 Traditionally,
there has been no room for the middle class in Indian
cinema, especially in Hindi movies. With the arrival
of Amol Palekar on the scene, began the depiction
of the non-glamourous middle class on the silver screen.
He is well versed with the role of a hesitant male
hero, who fits in the second class compartment of
a local train in Mumbai (remember Gharounda and Rajnigandha?)
Palekar has given a new look to the Indian male on
the celluloid.
A post graduate from the J.J. School of Arts, Palekar
was more interested in the Marathi and Hindi stage.
He entered Bollywood in the 1970s and made an impact
with his simple style of acting in films such as Golmaal,
Choti si Baat, and Chitchor. In the early 1980s, Palekar
suddenly changed gears and turned towards direction,
producing noteworthy award winning films like Akriet,
Ankahee, and Thoda sa romani ho jayee. His films deal
mainly with social issues that are prevalent in society.
Palekar's recent films, Dayara, portraying the complexities
in the life of a transvestite, and Kairee, a film
based on G A Kulkarni's short story, were highly appreciated
in India and abroad. Amol Palekar spoke to Mumbaibest
about his forthcoming films, the audience, and the
media.
Tell us something about your eagerly awaited new
movie, 'Kal Ka Admi'.
Kal Ka Admi is a bilingual film, in Marathi and Hindi,
and it is based on the life of Raghunath Karve, the
originator of the concept of family planning in India.
He was a man far ahead of his time, who believed that
women should have choices in terms of when to have
children and how many and with whom. He spoke about
women's rights, decades ago. About a hundred years
ago, it was a radical notion. I tried to produce the
film from Karve's point of view and believe me, his
life needed no fictionalisation as it is replete with
human interest and drama. I am hoping to finish the
film as early as possible, maybe within a month or
two.
You have received three Filmfare awards, six state
level awards and international awards too. How do
you view these honours?
 Awards
are the recognition that you get for your hard work
and toil. Though I never acted or directed with the
idea of winning awards, these awards definitely boost
the morale of any filmmaker. It proves that there
are people who can relate to my kind of thinking and
approach towards society. I found that the international
doors are always open for quality film makers. The
respect and applause we get abroad is immense. I am
thankful to the audience for appreciating me and my
work. All I can say is, more things are yet to come,
and I hope those forthcoming ventures will be equally
appreciated.
Would you like to comment on the Indian media?
I am really upset with the present strategy that
the media has adopted. The media has pervaded our
life as well as our mindset. It is continuously invading
our minds and compelling us to take whatever they
provide or whatever they think would be appropriate
for the masses. Who are they to decide what we want?
Since the media has the power to influence the masses,
it is the moral duty of all our media friends to give
the people what they should have. The worst thing
that I see in today's world is the lack of interaction
between the audience and the media. The audience should
not take things lying down. They should protest if
they are not being fed with the food they desire.
What do you have to say about the quality of today's
cinema and serials?
I think people are least bothered about the quality.
They concentrate only on the quantity of the output.
The Indian audience is conntinuously bombarded with
unwanted things. All I know is that the novelty of
television has died over the years. Today, contentwise
all channels and films are the same, with a few strokes
of colour added or erased.
What would you like to say about the new generation?
Today, the nation is in the hands of the younger
generation. They have to decide on the future course
of action and believe me that is not at all an easy
thing to do. They have to think and rethink before
taking any further step. But at least they have the
opportunity to make a change.
In the case of budding talents, in film making and
acting, I personally believe that there is ample scope
for quality film-makers and actors. Young talents
should not get carried away with the trend of quantity,
and should not get entangled in the vicious circle
of production and more production. They should maintain
their originality and keep performing.
By: Sharmistha Chakraborty
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1:58:27 AM 
