I don’t like social media, there’s too much of exposure of today’s stars

Veteran actor Asha Parekh is not on social media, unlike a few of her contemporaries. Ask h why, and she says, “I don’t like it! Neither do I want to experiment.”

The Padma Shri recipient believes there is overdose of social media bu admits that informing fans about almost everything about one’s life is detrimenta to stars’ popularity these day “Because of all of this, there i far too much exposure. If you are not seen much in public, people are inquisitive about you.”

When it comes to the difference between yesteryear’s stars and today’s, Parekh, who has several classics to her credit — Teesri Manzil (1966), Kati Patang (1971) and Caravan (1971), among others — says that today’s leading ladies are often criticised for lacking charm and grace, but she believes, “It’s not grace that these girl lack. I just don’t think they innovate enough. For example, if they even dress up differently from others they would not all look the same.”

The veteran shares that she is “still passionate abou films” and wants to “work more”. She also enjoys it when people still praise her and her peers on their work. “It’s very encouraging. I feel very happy about it. I hope people remember me and continue to like me till I live,” concludes the 79-year-old.

Aditi Rao Hydari takes us by surprise when she reveals that she is not feeling nervous about making her Cannes debut. All she’s thinking about is “taking in every bit of the magic”. The actor shares, “I was actually supposed to make my debut [at Cannes Film Festival] earlier, but that year, the lockdown happened. At that time, I was excited, but there was a lot of pressure, like about what I would wear... Now, I have a packed schedule because I am doing various things.”

The 35-year-old says that she had indeed been bombarded with questions by a lot of people about her debut at the film festival. But the actor, who has done films in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam, just wants to focus on enjoying the experience.

“I know I might make mistakes, I am going to be watched closely,” she admits, adding, “I am constantly telling myself, ‘Remember, growing up you saw a dream of being at Cannes, being in films, of experiencing this magical thing’. I really just want to be in the moment, take in every bit of the magic that I am surrounded by.”

Being on such a global platform must come with its own set of pressures, and the Hey Sinamika! actor agrees: “That’s fine, everybody has to do what they have to do. I do have a responsibility (at Cannes), but I also have a responsibility towards myself, to have fun. I feel lucky that I am at Cannes.”

She adds, “At this point, I am not feeling nervous. I do have butterflies in my stomach, but I cannot allow myself to feel scared. Growing up, I longed to be a part of the film industry, and it was beyond my reach. Today, when I am doing it, I want to enjoy myself. I know fashion is really important; at Cannes, films and fashion go hand in hand. It is a milestone moment. Cannes is a place where the world is shut out, there is only cinema.”