Rajat Kapoor talks about his new release Lootere and the state of filmmaking in India
Rajat Kapoor has worked in films, plays, and web series for nearly 30 years now. From doing bit roles i blockbusters to directing critically-acclaimed dramas, the actor has led a diverse career. In a recent chat with DNA, the veteran actor opened up about his new show Lootere and the state of filmmaking in India today, which he says leaves a lot to be desired.
Lootere is a show that sets a thriller in Somalia, introducing the world of piracy to the Indian audiences. The show has been praised for using international artistes and its authenticity. While commenting upon this change in production values, Kapoor calls the show an ‘exception’. “It’s not the rule. It’s not as if we are making international shows today. Sorry, we are not by and large. There are exceptions and Lootere is one of them.”
In fact, Kapoor adds that not just Indian shows, even the cinema of the country is nothing to write home about. “Films to bana nahi paa rahe hain international. Wohi films bana rahe hain jo 40 saal pehle bana rahe the (We aren’t even making international films. We make the same stuff that we made 40 years ago),” he laments.
Talking about the rise of formula films, the actor says, “Everything and everybody follows a formula. When the so-called Indian new wave cinema started and people like Kumar Shahani, Saeed Mirza, Ketan Mehta, and Mani Kaul made their first films, that was truly a wave. Now, we make four films a year that are maybe not so bad. It’s pathetic for a country that makes 1500 films a year to have three or four films to remember at the end of the year. We should all be ashamed of ourselves. And what is worse is that we celebrate it as if kamaal ho gaya (it’s a miracle). Kuch kamaal nahi hua hai (There is no miracle).”
The actor says that the rise of streaming services in India has made the job tougher for good films to succeed. He explais, “After the pandemic, the 4-6 people who used to go and watch such cinema, even they are not going. They wait for it to come on OTT. And even there, they don’t watch it because there is so much on OTT, 8-12 new things every week. What all can a person watch?”
Lootere also stars Vivek Gomber, Amruta Khanvilkar, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Martial Batchamen Tchana, and Aamir Ali. Three of its eight episodes are currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar with a new episode dropping every Friday.
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 "Rajat Kapoor in Lootere")
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