Bhopal: Film boycott trend passing phase; people are best judge, says Bollywood actor-writer Ashwin Kaushal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The growing trend of calls for boycott of films is a passing phase, which will disappear soon, said Ashwin Kaushal, an actor-writer from Bollywood.

“Ye public hai, ye sab jaanti hai. The people are the best judges. Once a film is a hit, everyone will forget about the boycott,” he added.

‘Damini’-fame actor Ashwin was in the city on Saturday to take part in the two-day Khwahishein Theatre Festival, organised by Abhinay Manch.

Ashwin said that web series being produced in India are so ‘bold’ that one cannot watch them in the company of one’s daughter, he told media persons.

He said that while the webseries have opened new doors of opportunities for the young actors, directors and producers, they are also portraying excessive sex and violence. “I am waiting for the day when the authorities will start censoring webseries,” the noted actor said.

Describing the young strugglers in the entertainment industry as ‘lucky’, he said that today they have much greater access to information and training than was the case in the past. “Google can tell you anything you want to know and there are innumerable institutes across the country where you can train to become an actor or a director,” he said.

About nepotism in the film industry, Ashwin said that no one can make someone successful. “Success is not only about your family, hard work and talent, it is also about destiny. You have to be at the right place at the right time,” he said.

Ashwin who has acted in films like ‘PK’ and ‘Ghulam’, said that it was regrettable that writers do not enjoy the status they should in the industry. “Film producers think that they can just pay someone Rs 5,000 and get a script written,” he said. Recalling how Salim-Javed used to rule the film industry, he said that earlier, the directors could not change a word in the script without the consent of the write

‘First-day-first show craze is passé’

Another film and TV actor, Shekhar Shukla, said that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the consumption pattern of entertainment content of the people. “Watching first-day-first-show of films is longer the trend. Now people read reviews of films before deciding to watch them,” he said. Shukla has been seen in many films and TV serials including Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikandar and Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain. He said that the newcomers in the industry are very talented and tech-savvy. “They only need the right platform,” he added.