Traditionally, there has been no room for the middle class in Indian cinema, especially in Hindi movies. With the arrival of Amol Palekar on the scene, began the depiction of the non-glamourous middle class on the silver screen. He is well versed with the role of a hesitant male hero, who fits in the second class compartment of a local train in Mumbai (remember Gharounda and Rajnigandha?) Palekar has given a new look to the Indian male on the celluloid.

A post graduate from the J.J. School of Arts, Palekar was more interested in the Marathi and Hindi stage. He entered Bollywood in the 1970s and made an impact with his simple style of acting in films such as Golmaal, Choti si Baat, and Chitchor. In the early 1980s, Palekar suddenly changed gears and turned towards direction, producing noteworthy award winning films like Akriet, Ankahee, and Thoda sa romani ho jayee. His films deal mainly with social issues that are prevalent in society. Palekar's recent films, Dayara, portraying the complexities in the life of a transvestite, and Kairee, a film based on G A Kulkarni's short story, were highly appreciated in India and abroad. Amol Palekar spoke to Mumbaibest about his forthcoming films, the audience, and the media.

Tell us something about your eagerly awaited new movie, 'Kal Ka Admi'.

Kal Ka Admi is a bilingual film, in Marathi and Hindi, and it is based on the life of Raghunath Karve, the originator of the concept of family planning in India. He was a man far ahead of his time, who believed that women should have choices in terms of when to have children and how many and with whom. He spoke about women's rights, decades ago. About a hundred years ago, it was a radical notion. I tried to produce the film from Karve's point of view and believe me, his life needed no fictionalisation as it is replete with human interest and drama. I am hoping to finish the film as early as possible, maybe within a month or two.

You have received three Filmfare awards, six state level awards and international awards too. How do you view these honours?

Awards are the recognition that you get for your hard work and toil. Though I never acted or directed with the idea of winning awards, these awards definitely boost the morale of any filmmaker. It proves that there are people who can relate to my kind of thinking and approach towards society. I found that the international doors are always open for quality film makers. The respect and applause we get abroad is immense. I am thankful to the audience for appreciating me and my work. All I can say is, more things are yet to come, and I hope those forthcoming ventures will be equally appreciated.

Would you like to comment on the Indian media?

I am really upset with the present strategy that the media has adopted. The media has pervaded our life as well as our mindset. It is continuously invading our minds and compelling us to take whatever they provide or whatever they think would be appropriate for the masses. Who are they to decide what we want?

Since the media has the power to influence the masses, it is the moral duty of all our media friends to give the people what they should have. The worst thing that I see in today's world is the lack of interaction between the audience and the media. The audience should not take things lying down. They should protest if they are not being fed with the food they desire.

What do you have to say about the quality of today's cinema and serials?

I think people are least bothered about the quality. They concentrate only on the quantity of the output. The Indian audience is conntinuously bombarded with unwanted things. All I know is that the novelty of television has died over the years. Today, contentwise all channels and films are the same, with a few strokes of colour added or erased.

What would you like to say about the new generation?

Today, the nation is in the hands of the younger generation. They have to decide on the future course of action and believe me that is not at all an easy thing to do. They have to think and rethink before taking any further step. But at least they have the opportunity to make a change.

In the case of budding talents, in film making and acting, I personally believe that there is ample scope for quality film-makers and actors. Young talents should not get carried away with the trend of quantity, and should not get entangled in the vicious circle of production and more production. They should maintain their originality and keep performing.

By: Sharmistha Chakraborty