Pankaj Kapur is currently seen alongside RajKummar Rao in Bheed. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, it also stars Bhumi Pednekar and Dia Mirza. The film hit screens on March 24. The Free Press Journal caught up with the veteran actor for an exclusive chat.
Pankaj has contributed to Indian cinema with his varied range of roles. When asked how he sees the changing times in the film industry, he shares, “Like how we grow in life, mature nicely, learn along the way, the same way cinema has grown over the years. Some films are showing a sense of wisdom, some are showing a great sense of entertainment and so on. Life brings change in us and so does cinema.”
Since the time Bheed was announced, it attracted controversies. Pankaj, who plays Balram Tiwari, a security guard believes that his latest release film isn’t a political film in any way. He reveals, “I don’t see Bheed as a political film at all. There might be a set of people who perceive this film as political but for me, it is an analysis on what happened a while ago. It is like a critical opinion on a given situation. That’s exactly what director Anubhav Sinha has done. With Bheed, he also questions how we think. The film showcases this historical event and how people from different walks of life experienced it.”
Social media is the pool for toxicity. An actor par excellence like Pankaj, who isn’t really active there claims that he can’t handle the pressure of social media. “I am not on any of these social media platforms since I can’t handle the pressure of being there. I really think that there’s enough toxicity around everything even around Bheed but it is a part of our history. Invention of the internet is the biggest discovery we have ever seen, but there are many flaws attached to it too,” he explains.
Sharing further on his film choices in the current day and time, he says, “I have been told by my children that I should not be too strict with my choices. They told me that I have done enough of choosing and now I have to become flexible and just enjoy the experience of working. As I grow old, I feel there’s a lot to learn from my kids. This was the reason I did Lost, where I don’t have a big part but it was an important role. I liked filmmaker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury. These days, if I like a subject, I pick up that project.”
Bheed also has Kritika Kamra and Ashutosh Rana in pivotal roles and is currently running in cinemas.
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