Saurabh Shukla-Pankaj Kapur advocate for 'mature love stories' in Bollywood
What's the story
Saurabh Shukla, the director of the upcoming film Jab Khuli Kitaab, and lead actor Pankaj Kapur recently spoke to Variety India about the lack of mature romantic dramas in Bollywood. Shukla admitted that such films have become less common and suggested that this might be because the younger generation finds youth aspirational. "If you are talking about mature stories, the younger generation finds youth aspirational," he said.
Age and storytelling
'Why should romance belong only to the young?'
Shukla further argued that the idea of older people not enjoying life should be discarded. "I think the amount of fun older people have is not funny at all," he said. He also clarified that age doesn't influence a maker's creative process. "From a maker's point of view, I don't think any maker thinks about age. I think it is more of a marketing thought." He posed: "Why should romance belong only to the young?"
Actor's perspective
Kapur emphasized truth in storytelling
Kapur added to Shukla's thoughts by emphasizing the importance of truth in storytelling. "At least in the kind of story he has written, or if any writer writes about any age group, there is a truth to it, a rootedness," he said. He also acknowledged that some people might question the relevance of such films, but argued that Hindi cinema has addressed older relationships before.
Film's theme
More about 'Jab Khuli Kitaab'
In Jab Khuli Kitaab, a seemingly small confession disrupts not just a marriage but also the entire family ecosystem. Kapur described the film as showing how "a small incident can shake an entire family structure, not necessarily break it, but bring change." The film will premiere on ZEE5 on Friday, March 6.