Amol Palekar: Box office result shouldn’t be the only yardstick to judge a film’s quality

Veteran actor-director Amol Palekar with author and columnist Balaji Vittal during The Hindu Lit for Life Dialogue in Bengaluru on Friday.
| Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

Amol Palekar, actor-director of Hindi and Marathi cinema, said he cannot relate to the current trend of films being judged based on their box office numbers. Speaking at The Hindu Lit for Life Dialogue at Christ (deemed to be university) in Bengaluru, the filmmaker said a box office result isn’t the ultimate yardstick to analyse a movie.

“Today, people are curious to know if a movie has entered the ₹100 crore club or not. Pushpa 2 was in the news for its box office numbers. Why do we only focus on the commercial success of a movie? Money is important, but it’s not everything when you talk about a work of art,” he said, during the session ‘A Life in Cinema’, hosted by author and columnist Balaji Vittal.

“As a filmmaker, I believed in experimenting with subjects. I gave value to how I executed my ideas and what I achieved from my scripts,” he added.

In the session, Palekar discussed highlights from his memoir, Viewfinder: A Memoir. The actor of Chhoti Si Baat (1975), Chitchor (1976), and Golmaal (1978)said he considers himself an outsider who found a firm footing in theatre and films.

“I am not a trained actor. For several years, those who made it big in cinema were from the National School of Drama. I wasn’t a part of NSD. I also didn’t go to a film institution. This kind of background helped me operate with complete freedom. I had no baggage to carry,” he said.

Mr. Palekar said filmmakers must offer something new to the current generation. “We have changed as a society. I am not sure if the audience today will like the simplicity of yesteryear movies. Youngsters today have tremendous exposure to films across the world. Instead of milking nostalgia, we must strive to give something new to the audience. We must try to retain our Indian-ness, stay connected to our roots, and yet do something different in cinema,” he explained.

The veteran credited theatre greats Shombu Mitra and Badal Sircar and filmmakers Basu Chatterjee, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Biplab Roy Chowdhury, and Tapan Sinha for his growth as an artist. Mr. Palekar recounted how daring to experiment as an actor helped him carve out a versatile career.

“When I played a villain in Bhumika (1976), people felt it was a big risk. I was an emerging hero during that phase. However, I wanted to break my boy-next-door image. Even in Ankahee (1985), I played a character with grey shades. I am happy I chose to do different kinds of characters.”