Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah expressed his disappointment in Hindi cinema and said there was hope for it to get better only if films were made without the intention of earning money. Speaking at an event, Shah said, “It really disappoints me that we take pride in saying Hindi cinema is 100 years old but we have been making the same films. I have stopped watching Hindi films, I don’t like them at all. Hindustani food is loved everywhere because it has substance. What substance do Hindi films have? Yes, they are being watched everywhere. They say, ‘How exotic, how Indian, how colourful’. Soon they will be bored of it because there is no substance,” the actor, 73, said, adding that it is the responsibility of “serious filmmakers” to show the reality of society. “There is hope for Hindi cinema only if we stop seeing it as a means to make money. But I feel it’s too late now. There is no solution any more because the films that are being watched by thousands will keep being produced, and people will keep watching them.”

Back to the screen