‘The era of superstars is over’: Farah Khan on what today’s actors get wrong

Filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan has a rather candid take on the changing dynamics of Bollywood, and she isn't holding back. In a recent appearance on Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi's show Double Date, Farah said that today’s newbie actors lack confidence and trust in the people they work with. 

Farah Khan says new actors should focus on their job, not interfere in filmmaking

With years of experience in the film industry, the filmmaker and choreographer has now become an expert in identifying talents. Farah has always been vocal about her opinions on industry newcomers and this time was no different. In a recent conversation, she opened up about the basic qualities that she thinks are lacking in the newbies and debutants. She believes that actors today want to have a say in almost every department of filmmaking, from choreography and music to casting and direction.

This tendency to interfere according to her often comes from a lack of confidence in their own abilities. She said, “The problem is today's actors don't have confidence in anyone. They don't have confidence in the director. They want to choreograph the song on their own, interfere in music and casting as well. All of this comes when you are not confident about yourself."

Explaining what she believes makes a confident actor, Farah talked about her collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan. She recalled how the superstar never questioned her casting decisions, even when they involved choices that were not necessarily conventional at the time. She said, "Shah Rukh has never interfered in casting when I said I want Sushmita Sen for Main Hoon Na even though she wasn't any big heroine. He didn't question. I said I want new girl in Om Shanti Om, he didn't question. He just saw the photo (of Deepika Padukone) and said, 'if you are fine with it, I'm fine.’”

Farah also spoke about the work ethic that, according to her, helped some of Hindi cinema's biggest names build lasting careers. Citing Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, she said these actors continue to work as hard as they did when they started out, with some putting in even more effort today.

Farah reserved her sharpest criticism for what she believes should be an actor's primary responsibility. Calling out newcomers for overstepping their roles on set, she said, “That is not your job. You do your job. Learn your lines first. Your job is to know your lines when you come on set. That you are not able to do. It's irritating. I have seen it. I have done actors' first movie, and then after their fifth movie, they think they know it all. They are surrounded by people. The era of superstars is over. They (Salman, SRK, Amitabh, Akshay) are the last of them; enjoy them for as long as they work."

On the work front, while there is no confirmed announcement about the project yet, a possible reunion of the Main Hoon Na and Om Shanti Om collaborators is certainly something their fans would be curious about.

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