Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has spoken out against the trend of unfairly criticizing successful films like Pathaan and Jawan. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actor, who has appeared in both commercial and independent films, called this kind of criticism “a form of fascism.”
Rawal, who has worked in the film industry for more than 40 years, criticized people who try to control what audiences should like by calling popular films “ghatiya” (terrible). He said, “Those films are successful because audiences like them. Who are you to call their taste terrible?” He further added, “You can say what works for you or doesn’t, but expecting everyone to share your taste is fascism.”
The actor, who is preparing for the release of The Storyteller, also stated that the success of commercial films shouldn’t stop filmmakers from creating meaningful stories. He further added, “If a film like Pathaan becomes successful, it’s not stopping you from making what you believe is good cinema. Please do it. What’s the point of abusing these films? It’s absolutely pointless.”
Rawal praised filmmaker Anurag Kashyap for changing Bollywood, saying he opened doors for new writers, directors, and talented actors. “Because of Anurag, we’ve seen a new wave in storytelling. OTT has also changed how producers and audiences think,” he mentioned.
The actor spoke highly of recent impactful films, praising Three of Us by Avinash Arun and Joram by Devashish Makhija, which stars Manoj Bajpayee. He said, “These films blew me away,” with great enthusiasm.
As someone who has worked in both commercial and indie films, Rawal emphasized the importance of embracing diversity in cinema. He encouraged audiences to avoid making broad judgments and instead appreciate the variety of different storytelling styles.
