Cinema ko dhanda bana diya hai kuch logon ne, says Raghubir
He’s been a part of acclaimed films such as Salaam Bombay! (1988), Bandit Queen (1994) and Lagaan (2000), yet, Raghubir Yadav finds it sad to see that a part of Hindi cinema has deteriorated. “The kind of work many actors weren’t able to do is because of the cinema mafia, who make big-budget films. Cinema ko dhanda bana diya hai kuch logon ne. I don’t know what happens in such films, but they made it a business. That is not cinema,” he rues, adding, “Now, people are fed up of that. The real work is getting made now and people are getting opportunities. The audience is also changing.”
Lauding the OTTs for bringing about a change in the entertainment industry, the actor says they’ve upped the game. “Good work is getting seen because of the web. This is going to sustain. Hopefully, people will realise this is the standard of work and this is how they’d have to work,” he states.
From TV, films, theatre to now OTT, Yadav, 63, has constantly reinvented himself and starred in fan favourites such as web film Love per Square Foot and series Panchayat, which was a runaway success when it released, last year.
“The reach of OTT is far greater than any other medium,” he opines, adding, “In the lockdown, whether the audience was forced to watch OTT or chose to, the outcome is they’re exposed to good content and won’t settle for just anything. OTT platforms have got audience into the habit of watching good stuff.”
Talking about the upcoming season of Panchayat, he reveals they’ll start shooting next month. “Now, it’s also a big responsibility to maintain that standard and make it even better,” he signs off.