Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Saturday said the film industry is often held responsible for changes in the country’s morality, instead arguing that the society has always served as an inspiration for cinema. During his address to students at the Symbiosis Film Festival in Pune, the 81-year-old screen icon talked about the criticism the film industry receives as well as the advantages and disadvantages of technological advancements in cinema. (Also read: After returning from Ram temple in Ayodhya, Amitabh Bachchan shared pictures of Ram Lalla: ‘There is no description in faith’)
He along with wife Jaya Bachchan attended the opening ceremony of the festival organized by Symbiosis International.
“At times, the film industry faces a lot of criticism and all kinds of allegations that you are responsible for changing the morality of the country and changing the outlook of the people. I am sure you know Jaya, who formally Institute (FTII) will support the fact that stories and films are made from experiences that we have seen in nature, in the world, in everyday life and that becomes our inspiration,” said the actor.
Bachchan recalled how his late father, renowned poet and writer Harivansh Rai Bachchan used to watch repeat telecasts of many Hindi films. The actor said that his father liked the poetic justice aspect of cinema. “Cinema has its own strength. In the last years of my father’s life he used to watch a film on cassette on television every evening. Many times the films he watched were repeated. Every evening I used to ask him, ‘You have seen the film, are you not bored?’ What do you find in Hindi cinema? He said, ‘I will get to see Poetic Justice in three hours. You and I will not get to see poetic justice in our lifetime. And this is the lesson that cinema gives to everyone.”
Bachchan also praised Malayalam and Tamil films for their authenticity, but said it was wrong to say that South cinema is doing better than the Hindi film industry. “The regional cinema is doing very well. But when we talk to them, they say they are making the same kind of films as we make in Hindi. They just change the dressing so that they look beautiful. Very People from ‘I’ said, ‘We are remaking your old films, all our stories have Deewaar, Shakti and Sholay somewhere in them.’ Malayalam and some Tamil cinema is authentic and aesthetic. This whole idea of pointing a finger at a particular region and saying that they are doing well, not us (they are better than us) is not right,” he said.
On a question about technological advancements in the industry, Bachchan recalled the time when actors were forced to give their best in the first take because filmmakers could not use film celluloid due to budget constraints.
“We were conscious that we had to get it right in our first take because you don’t get a second chance because that means wasting more film, and producers and directors would never allow that. Now with Chip , it’s beneficial. You’re doing about 20-30 retakes today, not because you were bad, but the X camera didn’t get it right. Sometimes, it’s beneficial for a director. Sometimes I think And I’m sure people of my generation feel the same, I can’t repeat the same thing again. Many times, the modern generation says how do you get it right in the first place? I said that’s the reason behind it. There’s a long history. You’re getting an opportunity to better yourself, we never had that,” he said.
Bachchan also expressed displeasure over the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in cinema and film personalities. The cinema veteran said many people objected to the face-mapping technology, which was one of the contentious issues during the twin Hollywood strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio . Artist (SAG-AFTRA).
He said, “We are all being subjected to face mapping now, our entire body will be face mapped and it will be kept separate and used at any time.” Did face mapping on Hollywood legend Tom Hanks.
“A lot of objections are being raised and I believe there is some kind of actors’ strike in Hollywood because producers and directors map out your face, claim it and say it’s our property and we Will put it to work.” Whenever we want. So there will come a time when symbiosis will call my AI and not me personally,” he quipped.
Jaya Bachchan, 75, also spoke at the event and urged students not to “imitate the western world”.
“I have a request to all the students who have come here from our country, neighboring countries and outside… This is my observation, please do not copy the western world, stay connected to the ethos, culture of your country. For God’s sake, Stop all that music. We want to watch a movie,” she said.