India’s Premier Activist-Film Couple Discuss the State of Hindi Cinema
Chicago IL: Actress Shabana Azmi and her husband, scriptwriter, lyricist, and poet Javed Akhtar, both of whom need little introduction to Hindi film fans, responded freely to a wide range of questions at the Drury Lane Theater at Oak Brook Terrace, Ill., on Saturday, June 08. This was the first public event of the Eye on India Festival (EIF) 2013. They were introduced and interviewed by EIF host Sanjoy Roy, Director of Teamwork Productions. Questions, also from the floor, revolved around Hindi cinema, its social role and alleged degeneration, Muslim identity and the place of Urdu, and their experience as nominated members of the Rajya Sabha. What do 100 years of Indian cinema represent for you? Javed: With all its variety, technical sophistication, “Indian cinema has never been so young.” However, the depth of the 50s and 60s is somewhat missing and real social issues are being avoided. The emergence of multiplexes makes it possible to make big budget movies. The middle class has become insular and inward looking. The average protagonist used to be from the working class. The hero of the new make-believe world is a rich man living in a palatial mansion and steps outside onto a […]
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