‘Schools are to educate, films should entertain’

With a bunch of films around social taboos being made in Bollywood, it looks like filmmakers are putting content above all as their unique selling proposition. Joining the league is the latest release, Poster Boys, starring Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol along with Shreyas Talpade, who also makes his directorial debut with the film.

This film’s plot deals with vasectomy, whereas others have been centred around open defecation, erectile dysfunction, and menstrual hygiene in rural areas.

Asked if such films are intended to educate or reform society, Sunny says, “Schools are there to educate, we make films to entertain.” Bobby and Shreyas agree immediately.

Sunny, who played the angry young social reformer in Arjun (1985) and various upright characters in later films, says that parents are there to educate and society provides solutions to issues.

Poster Boys is the Hindi adaptation of the Marathi movie Poshter Boyz, which had Shreyas in the lead. The actor-director says that he never tries to preach to his audience. “Through this film, we don’t tell people the pros and cons of vasectomy or give them any kind of gyaan,” says Shreyas. He adds that these content-driven films give a starting point to the audience. “Once viewers have watched a film,” says Shreyas, “if they have to start [a discussion on] a topic, they might use the film as a reference point.”

Poster Boys marks a comeback of sorts after four years for Bobby. He feels that content-driven films act only as influencers. “When people watch a film,” he says, “they discuss the topic or a scene and that creates awareness in a way — indirectly. That’s how movies really are made. So we only act as a catalyst.”

Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, and Shreyas Talpade are three ‘boys’ in Poster Boys PHOTO: AMAL KS/HT