In Bollywood, the film's stakes are as high as the actor. In Hollywood, they are way above, and the day we realise this in our industry, we will start appreciating actors.
While Hollywood has had a huge influence on the Indian industry, Bollywood and its actors, too, are garnering a lot of attention in the western film world.
Bollywood is there; the film industry is thriving, and it's huge, and it's everywhere. Anytime I travel abroad and I say I'm an actor from India, they're like, 'Oh, Bollywood!' And I say, 'Umm, not yet!'
I hate the term 'Bollywood,' because we're not a 'me too' of Hollywood. The Indian film industry is prolific.
Our Bollywood industry works in such a way that when an actor is seen in a gangster's role, he is offered similar roles.
High stakes, low stakes, poor or rich - people will find a way to gamble.
Although the need or demand for a lead actor and actress will never fade in the Bollywood film industry, character roles have also become popular and more importantly they are very integral for the script.
In fact, the Bengali film industry is becoming more balanced between creativity and commercialization. And if Bollywood can remake south Indian and Hollywood films, why can't we do so!
I'm not criticizing Hollywood because I work there, I partly live there. But I'm saying this is the way it is, commerce is taking over art. Commerce has become the most important thing in the film industry. Hollywood is an industry, it's not an art form, therefore they have to address the bottom line. But in a way it's sad when you get a remake, isn't it?
I am ready to work in any industry whether its Bollywood, Hollywood, the digital platforms, South Indian film, or Bengali films. Wherever I get a good opportunity, I'll be there.
Kollywood allots big budget only for commercial films. Bollywood film industry is straightforward that way. When compared to Bollywood, Kollywood is fake. They keep churning out the same films.
The way the recession has affected Hollywood, a lot of actors that had robust opportunities before in film no longer have such plum options, so cable has done a good job of becoming a happy medium for artists deemed film actors.
I think the reason you use an actor is if they are right for the role. Most of the high-profile stars tend to be good actors. That's probably what led to their fame. So if they are right for the movie, you can certainly use them. But I don't want to, not at all. Stardom and Hollywood overpower the ideas and the film.
Acting is closed and 'Dabanng' will be my last film as an actor in Bollywood. I don't know, it does not excite me anymore and I have always believed I am a limited actor.
In Bollywood, you have to do one film at a time, and there are no mixed schedules. And doing four films at a time is out of the question. Telugu film industry works very differently. But the kind of films I'm getting here are better than what I've been offered in Bollywood.
Film-makers should remain true to their principles and never compromise, there is a real revival in the British film industry but there is a danger that we will become colonial servants of Hollywood. We need to maintain our own integrity.
As far as I'm concerned, the stakes are always very high. Whether it's playing at the White House or playing for a group in my own house - you know, one of those soirees I play in. Once I start playing, the stakes are somehow higher, in a way, than any of the context.