Bollywood films would be a ‘tragic’ lens to understand India 100 years later: Naseeruddin Shah

Kozhikode, Jan 24 (PTI) Actor Naseeruddin Shah believes cinema’s most important function is to be the record of its times but he is worried that it would a “big tragedy” if future generations look at Bollywood movies to understand India of now.

Shah, known for his powerful performances in films such as “Nishant”, “Aakrosh”, “Sparsh” and “Masoom”, was speaking at the ongoing eighth edition of Kerala Literature Festival (KLF).

“I think the most important purpose that serious cinema serves is not to bring change in the world. I don’t think anybody’s thinking is changed after seeing a film, no matter how wonderful it may be. Yes, It may help you raise a few questions. But the really important function of cinema, to my mind, is to act as a record of its times. Those are the most valuable films,” the veteran star said in a conversation with actor Parvathy Thiruvothu.

“Because these films will be seen 100 years later, and if 100 years later people want to know what India of 2025 was like, and they find a Bollywood film, that would be a big tragedy I think.”

Shah also highlighted the difficulties filmmakers face when creating “honest pictures” that reflect the realities of the times. He noted that films attempting to portray the truth often face bans or struggle to find an audience because they lack the commercial elements that make successful films.

However, for the 74-year-old actor, the success or failure of a film holds little importance.

“What’s important is that it gets across to the few people who watch it. If my work affects even one person in the world, that’s still good enough for me,” he added.

Shah also voiced his strong disapproval of what he described as “sickening films” that glorify masculinity while undermining femininity, questioning whether the success of such films reflects the state of society or merely the fantasies within it.

He said the relationship between cinema and society is mutual, with each influencing the other.

“I think these films feed into the secret fantasies of men who in their hearts of hearts look down on women. It is actually very scary to see how much approval such films get from the common viewer. It is very terrifying and does explain the horrendous things that happen to women in our society,” he explained.

Although Shah has never felt nervous about acting, except when it involves dancing with a girl younger than his daughter —something he admits he’s never been good at — he’s not ashamed but does regret taking on some roles purely for money.

“There were movies I did only for money. That’s the simple truth. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with working for money. What do we all do, after all? But yes, I do regret some of those choices. Fortunately, people tend to forget the bad work, and they remember the good things you did,” he added.

The actor said he always gravitated towards serious roles in his career.

“I decided to learn the nuts and bolts of my job, rather than on any kind of appeal which I may or may not have. I knew if I know how to do my job, how long can I be held down? I cannot. I will do my best as much as I can,” Shah said about his career philosophy.

The KLF, which kicked off on Thursday, is hosting around 500 speakers from 15 countries. The event has drawn a large crowd of book lovers to Kozhikode beach, where they are attending engaging sessions by renowned authors, actors, artists, historians, activists and more.

Nobel laureates Venki Ramakrishnan and Esther Duflo, Booker prize winner Irish novelist Paul Lynch, actors Ratna Pathak Shah and Prakash Raj, Filmmamker Mani Ratnam, award-winning author-poet Perumal Murugan and politician-author Shashi Tharoor are among the speakers participating in the festival, touted to be Asia’s largest literature festival.

Over six lakh visitors are expected to attend the four-day literary festival, concluding on January 26.