R Balki expresses concern about the future of cinema

Eminent Bollywood director and ad-film maker, R Balki, on Saturday expressed deep concerns over the declining quality of cinema and the increasing threats to the industry.

- NISHAT NIZAMI

The director who was here in the city to deliver the Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture at the ongoing 30th Kolkata International Film Festival, said that many recent blockbusters, despite their commercial success, lack substance and fail to inspire genuine love for cinema.

"To me the biggest danger for cinema are the films that do well - the blockbusters. Some of the hits we see in the last few years, apart from a few, some of the real blockbusters, most of them are garbage. The audience come in due to the marketing hype and the amount of pumping to bring people into the theatres, and then they (audiences) go out having watched a film, but do move out with more love for cinema. They are not eager to watch another film. There are four or five films that are making a lot of money but they are not making much sense in terms of bringing people to the theatres," said the director.