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The actor said, “They were the trailblazers. Because of them, we had the courage to think of acting in meaningful movies.” read more
 "'I would give credit to, for creating a space for actors like us are Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri'")
On August 3, 2024, Village Square showcased 14 short films set in rural India, highlighting critical environmental and social issues at the Chitrashaala Short Film Festival in the capital. The festival, held as part of the fourth edition of the India Rural Colloquy, mainly focused on films revolving around pressing climate issues as well as rural India’s rich cultural and craft heritage.
The event also shed light on the challenges faced by the artisans, and the impact of climate change on rural life. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, actor Adil Hussain also had things to share:
You have been part of Indian cinema for many, many years now. How have you seen the landscape of content evolve, especially over ETC, over TTA?
I started acting in mainstream Hindi cinema only in 2010. I think the cinema has evolved, especially from the films which used to be made in the 90s. In fact, I decided not to go to Bombay after graduating from NSD because I didn’t want to work in these kinds of films. The film that I was offered first was ‘Ishqiya’. It had something different. And then OTT streamers arrived. There were many actors like me during this time, waiting for the right breaks. We do not come from an elite background and hail from rural places ro small towns. The first two people that I would give credit to, for creating a space for actors like us are Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri. They were the trailblazers. Because of them, we had the courage to think of acting in meaningful movies. So I think, things have changed a lot for the better but can still improve. We are still in creative infancy, I would say.
What are you most looking forward to for the Chitrashaala Short film festival?
I love to talk with the youngsters with bright eyes and share my experiences with them. I think we don’t do that much, right? For instance, there may be a Q&A session, but it’s very formal. Interactions shouldn’t only be formal. There should be space for terrible questions as well. All kinds of questions, you know? I think that such interactions should be endless. You could start in the morning, have tea, coffee, go out, come back and then have another chat. Apart from the classroom teaching and the training at NSD, the informal meetings with my teachers enriched me a lot. It is only through conversations that the undiscovered gets uncovered. That’s the most beautiful part. It is not like a TEDx talk where you just speak for 18-19 minutes. I like to listen and if you ask me questions, then I will know that you’re interested in a subject. So I look forward to events like Chitrashaala because they offer me opportunities for such interactions.
More about the interaction:
This was by Village Square, Transform Rural India
Their 4th edition of Indian Rural Colloquy
This was in regards to the Chitrashaala Short Film Festival
Working as an Entertainment journalist for over five years, covering stories, reporting, and interviewing various film personalities of the film industry see more
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English (US) ·