Superstar Amitabh Bachchan stated on Saturday that society has always been the inspiration for film, refuting the notion that the film business is to blame for a shift in the morals of the country. In his speech to students at Pune’s Symbiosis Film Festival, the legend discussed the criticism directed at the film industry and the benefits and drawbacks of technical advancements in the film industry.
“Many times, the film industry comes under a lot of criticism and all kinds of accusations that you are responsible for changing the morals of the country and changing the attitude of the people. I’m sure that you know Jaya, who has studied formally at the Institute (FTII), would endorse the fact that stories and films are made from experiences that we noticed in nature, in the world, in everyday life, and that is what becomes our inspiration,” the actor stated.
“Cinema in itself has its own power. During the last years of my father’s life, every evening he would watch a film on television on cassette. Many times, the films that he saw were repeated. I asked him every evening, ‘You have watched the film, don’t you get bored? What do you find in Hindi cinema?’ He added, ‘I’d get to see poetic justice in three hours. You and I will not get to see poetic justice in a lifetime.’ And that is the learning that cinema gives to all.”
In addition, Bachchan praised the realism of Malayalam and Tamil movies, but asserted that it is false to claim that South Indian cinema is outperforming Hindi cinema. “Regional cinema has been doing very well. But when we talk to them, they say they are making the same kind of films that we do in Hindi. They just change the dressing so that they look beautiful. A lot of the people I’ve met said, ‘We are remaking your old films, there’s Deewar, Shakti and Sholay somewhere in all our stories.’ Malayalam and some of the Tamil cinema is authentic and aesthetic. This whole idea of pointing fingers at a particular region and saying that unki aachi chal rahi hai, humari nahi (they are better than us) is not right”.
“We were conscious that we have to get it right in our first take because you’re not getting another opportunity as it meant wasting more film, and that the producer and director would never allow. Now with the chip, it is beneficial. You’re doing about 20-30 retakes, today not because you were bad, but x camera did not get it right. Sometimes, it is an advantage to a director. Sometimes I feel and I’m sure the people of my generation feel the same, I can’t keep on repeating the same thing again. Many times, the modern generation says how do you get it right on the first one? I said there’s a long history behind this. You’re getting an opportunity to improve yourself, we never had that,” he added.
Additionally, Bachchan voiced his disapproval of the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) in movies and on fictional characters.
“All of us are now being subjected to face mapping, our entire body is going to be face mapped and going to be kept aside and used at any point of time,” He added that he had seen a face mapping demonstration on Hollywood icon Tom Hanks at a well-known Mumbai studio.
“A lot of objections are being raised and I believe that there’s some kind of a strike in Hollywood by the artist because the producer and the director does your face mapping, laying claim to it, and saying this is our property and we will use it whenever we want. So there will be a time when Symbiosis will call my AI, and not me personally,” he averred.
