This is Hindi cinema's golden age: Paresh Rawal

By Shweta Thakur May 11, 2007, 11:07 GMT

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) Paresh Rawal, one of Bollywood's most versatile actors for whom the shift from villainy to comedy seems to have been a cakewalk, believes this is the golden period of Hindi cinema.

'The newcomers are really good and they have such wonderful new ideas. I think Hindi cinema is in its golden period. The work culture is changing, it is becoming more corporate and the mindset of the audience is also changing,' Paresh told IANS in an interview.

The actor will be seen in a small-budget film very soon, Anurag Kashyap's 'No Smoking', which also stars John Abraham.

Paresh is doing an experimental film too - S. Balakrishnan's directorial debut 'Cheeni Kum'. He plays Omprakash Verma, a father whose daughter Nina (Tabu) wants to marry Buddhadev Gupta (Amitabh Bachchan), who is only six years younger to her father.

And he is all praise for his co-star Amitabh.

'Amitabh is an actor who became a star by the sheer strength of his acting skills, not music. He is big in the real sense. It is not easy to get the kind of achievements he has, the kind of work he has done and he is doing it even at this age. It is amazing,' said Paresh.

Paresh, who has given many award-winning performances, is not too enamoured of honours.

'We all know how much lobbying and marketing you have to do for an award. Of course, it doesn't mean that a bad film will sell if marketed well. However, the trend is gaining impetus because there is a fear of being left behind in the rat race.'

For getting a chance to do a variety of roles, Paresh gives the credit to people who have shown immense faith in his acting skills.

'Mesmerised by the performance of actors like Amitabh, Naseeruddin Shah, Amrish Puri and Om Puri, I came to the film industry. I wanted to do the kind of roles they have enacted.'

But he is not going to Hollywood. 'Why to waste time on Hollywood movies?'

Other than 'Cheeni Kum' and 'No Smoking', Paresh will continue to tickle the funny bones of cine-goers in 'Good Boy, Bad Boy', 'Fauj Mein Mauj', 'Fool and Final' and 'Bhool Bhulaiya'.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service