Thankfully, it's not only the young who qualify to play lead roles in Hindi cinema.
Remember the '80s and '90s when younger and younger actors were roped in to suit those 'fresh' love stories? Except for a stray 'Saransh' (where Anupam Kher played the protagonist), filmmakers generally clamoured to catch stars young, sometimes waiting for a star-kid to sprout a hint of a moustache to launch a film with him. That scenario has thankfully changed. It's heartening to see scripts written with older characters in mind and films actually being made with senior actors.
Director Hriday Shetty perhaps set the trend with his Dimple Kapadia-Rishi Kapoor starrer 'Pyar Mein Twist'. Shetty questions, "Why must love only be linked to the young? Why are older people expected to stay at home and take kids to school? Can't they have the right to fall in love?"
Jahnu Barua's serious film, 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara' followed, which revolved around actor Anupam Kher playing a schizophrenic. Kher also has a lead role along with Boman Irani in UTV's 'Khosla Ka Ghosla', where he plays a middle-aged common man.
"I think it is the realisation that movies reflect life, and life consists of both the young and old. I am glad we are at a phase where we realise that there can be scripts and stories about people other than the youth. Abroad, it's been happening for a while now," says Anupam.
He continues, "I feel fantastic thinking that I am playing the lead in three of my forthcoming films, out of which one is an American production ('American Blend) and another British production ('Gandhi Park'). I think it is a fantastic achievement thanks to the present educated audiences, who watch and appreciate movies which are closer to reality."
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