New Delhi, June 9 (FN Agency) Actor, producer and entrepreneur Suniel Shetty who has a distinguished career spanning almost 30 years, feels that people have forgotten to celebrate cinema.The superstar was present in the national capital to launch the junior season of ‘Horses Stable’, a show that taps into the hidden potential of brilliant entrepreneurial talents from India, in association with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), and NITI Aayog. In an exclusive interaction with UNI, the ‘Dhadkan’ fame actor talked about how the industry has changed over the years.“Industry has changed technically, medium has changed. There are a lot more mediums now. So it’s good, business is getting bigger, there are a lot of talents that are there, that is available today, that wasn’t probably available earlier. India is acting now, which is fantastic,” he said. “And probably one thing I don’t like about this industry today is now that people are forgetting to celebrate cinema. They need to start celebrating cinema, they need to go and enjoy cinema in the big screens and theatres. Even, we as producers, have forgotten to celebrate cinema.
There should be a lot that needs to be done to tell people to come to the theatres. It’s only business business business. Let’s make good quality films. The risk is not there now. Earlier producers used to spend money, we were not stars, but they spent big money to make large films because of which the audience came in. So today, taking risk has become less and anybody and everybody wants to make a film because they have money,” Suniel said.If the entry into Bollywood has become easy with the emergence of the social media, the ‘Dilwale’ actor said, “to enter is easy for anybody and everybody, but to stay you need the talent. When people say nepotism, it feels bad because double pressure is there on those kids but in fact opportunities are for everyone.”“When anyone says that he/she should be given a chance, then my question is would you spend money on someone without knowing him/her? A father will only train his child/ next in kin for his business, then why is the industry being segregated. We shouldn’t be segregated, because opportunities are given. Today on my platform FTC, I have given chance to thousands of young children—anchoring, editing, background, everywhere. So the ‘nepotism’ doubt that people have on industry, if we handle this then it’s a very beautiful place,” he said. ‘FTC’ is a digital platform that discovers new talent in Bollywood and provides a platform to new artists to make a place for themselves in the tinsel town.Suniel will be seen as a host and mentor on the upcoming season of ‘Horses Stable Junior’.
On what appealed to him about the show, he said, “the earlier season of ‘Horses Stable’ have been very successful. But this is something new and fresh. There is no platform right now, but we are producing it because Niti Aayog, Horses Stable, AIM, and Prime Minster’s dream is to make sure that young children become the next Ambanis, Adanis, and Tata’s in the country.”“The thought process of these kids, the ideas they have, it’s completely different from what we ever imagined. Today 2-5 yrs old kid have the IQ of a child of 12-15 yrs of age. So that is the excitement, and the excitement in corporates and individuals who want to back these kids with the grants,” he said. On what aspects he will keep in mind as a mentor to these kids, Suniel said, “I think I will understand what ideas and concepts they are coming with. Appeal to India to come out with their ideas boldly, present it boldly, will mentor them to present it confidently, and probably get them to understand that failure doesn’t mean failure in life. It means improving for the next time, understand the difference what you should have done versus what you did. And at the same time getting the right partners to back the people.
It’s not just the grant and the funding but supporting them with the right partners who are masters of that field, masters of marketing so they improve it every year and every season.” The actor has many entrepreneurial ventures like in realty and restaurants etc. On how he will describe himself as a businessman, Suniel said, “somebody who has failed and then succeeded. Somebody who has taken failure, understood and tried to improve, somebody who has dropped ego when he is working. Somebody who believes in a team, delegation and believes that without a team you are nobody.” The megastar who will soon make his OTT debut with action thriller ‘Invisible Woman’, feels that there is a lot more scope for performance in digital space. “It’s tougher and more detailed. There is a lot more performance, a lot more you have to put in but at the same time there is a lot more scope for performance. The character is etched out beautifully.
OTT is a brilliant platform for performance. But for me big screen is always big screen. ‘Papa Papa hi hote hain’ (laughs)”.Suniel’s major works include action and comedy films. When asked his favourite from the current lot of actors in the same genre, he said that Kartik Aaryan has done a good job. “That’s a genre (comic) that is not being exploited hell of a lot. I think somebody who has done a good job with comedy right now is Kartik Aaryan. Other than that there is no scope, entertaining films are not made. That’s what the audience is asking. There are not cult entertainers now. Everybody is like busy in making ‘real life’ stories, but people are tired, tired of their lives, everything is monotonous. Till the time you don’t give them larger than life things— where we make them laugh, make them cry with love, emotions, I think that’s what we are lacking,” the ‘Border’ fame star said.“It’s very difficult to tell who is my favourite, because actors are not given chances. Kartik has done brilliantly in his films, because he got an opportunity. I am sure Varun Dhawan, when given an opportunity will do brilliant job, so also for Tiger Shroff. But if you don’t give the script to the actor, like me I never got the script earlier.
I was told you are an action hero show your body. But when ‘Gopi Kishan’ came, then people realised that I can do comedy also, same happened when ‘Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar’ released. Then only ‘Hera Pheri’ did wonders. So it’s very important you give an actor opportunity, then films will be made, then you can easily say who is good or bad,” he said. One ‘mantra’ that he gave to his kids— Athiya and Ahan, Suniel said, “I told them that don’t be afraid of the failure. Friday might be bad but next Friday will be good. Keep doing the hard work, be producer’s favourite, because it is the producer who puts ‘Lakshmi’ in the film, and whoever gives ‘Lakshmi’ if we disregard that person, then it won’t help you in any manner. So the man who is investing the money, who is putting his hard earned money for you, you have to learn to respect him.” Suniel, who will be turning 61 this year, has maintained a toned physique. When asked his ‘secret’ to fitness, he laughed and said, “I am 21.”“I do regular training and eat calculated food. I eat less, keep a count on nutrition, what is good for me I am aware of it. I avoid gluten, lactose and that’s why I am the way I am,” he added.On the work front, Suniel was last seen in ‘Mumbai Saga’ (2021). He will be seen next in Kiran Korrapati’s directorial ‘Ghani’. He will also be seen as a mentor in ‘Horses Stable-Junior’, which focuses on nurturing the young entrepreneurs and empowers the budding start-ups to pitch their innovative ideas and seek guidance and grants for their future business ventures from an experienced panel of horses.