A better way to look at the south vs Hindi film debate, is to make the most of the pan-India opportunities: Shreyas Talpade
02/07/2022
Shreyas Talpade has been having a busy year with his calendar full of Hindi and Marathi projects. Shreyas, who has been shuttling between cinema, television and OTT, was recently also spotted shooting in Bhopal for a yet-untitled film by director Vishal Pandya, with co-star Adah Sharma. In a chat with us, the Golmaal Again actor spoke about the debate around Hindi films and those from the south industries, his upcoming projects and why he feels this is the best time to be an actor.
You have been having a packed year with projects across mediums. How are you managing?
I’m not complaining at all! At the same time, I am happy that I have been able to break the mould and do new and challenging roles. All the projects that I’m a part of now are either high on drama, mystery or thrill factor, and that makes this phase very interesting to me. Earlier, people used to think comedy hai, Shreyas se baat kar lo. But now I’m getting scripts other than comedy as well. Not that I do not enjoy making people laugh, but as an actor, I want to have more variety on my plate, and 2022 is offering me that.
You have been a part of the industry for over 17 years and have been an integral part of new as well as traditional forms of content making. Do you feel dynamics have changed now?
I think for any project to be a success, originality wins over everything else. The success of movies like Pushpa, KGF and RRR has shown us how original thought and scripts are turning into massive hits. Although it is said that there are only seven stories in the world which get told in different ways, the audience wants to see how you are rethinking stories and presenting them from newer perspectives. In the last couple of years, the dynamics of the entertainment industry have changed. Today, youngsters are not bothered whether you’re an actor or an influencer, as long as you are serving them great content. It could be a ‘pawri hori hai’ reel or a short film, or a series. So, there is tough competition because the industry is now working round-the-clock as accessibility to content has also increased.
With accessibility, has the regional divide finally closed? Or is the south vs Hindi films debate valid?
The appetite of the viewers is large now, which has technically bridged all barriers of language, culture, region etc. The south vs Hindi films debate has been going on for a while, but I think we are all missing the more important point here. I feel it is an age that is providing more opportunities for regional cinema to make their content stand out. People will easily watch a dubbed or subtitled version of a film or show from a language that they don’t understand, if the project satisfies their appetite for good content. The success and response of south films has in fact given us the confidence to contemplate releasing Marathi productions in multiple languages. For me the popularity of Pushpa’s Hindi version was unbelievable! Earlier, wherever I used to go people would ask me to recite ‘Golmaal ka dialogue’, but after voicing Allu Arjun in Pushpa’s Hindi version, now all they want is for me to say ‘Main jhukega nahi saala’!
You made a comeback to Marathi television after many years with the show Mazhi Tuzhi Reshimgaath. How do you feel about its popularity?
When I was offered the show, sometime during the pandemic, I was in two minds. I was thinking if I wanted to do Marathi TV again and if I would be able to manage the time. But then I thought I’m a performer, and the show presented me with a great opportunity to connect with the audience at a time when there were no films releasing in theatres. Why should I be sitting at home? I should be out there being a part of something. People who had watched me on Marathi shows earlier are now grown-ups. So, I have a whole new audience, a younger generation, to cater to. They probably know me only for Golmaal Again. So, I took the show up to connect with the younger audience. Thankfully for me, the makers are very supportive and accommodating and I’m able to manage all my other projects accordingly. They give me that kind of time and space.
Tell us more about your upcoming projects.
I was shooting for Vishal Pandya’s next, a thriller, in Bhopal recently. I can’t reveal much about it though. There’s a Marathi production which will mostly go on floors soon in London. Then I am directing a Hindi film called Sar Car Ki Seva Mei, which is based on a true incident. There are a couple more projects that I am a part of, but it is too early to speak about them.
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