'They are not original thinkers like Raj Kapoor': Shekhar Suman SLAMS Bollywood filmmakers as 'formula-dependent plagiarists

Shekhar Suman is back to what he is best at, hosting a talk show. The actor started his show, 'Shekhar Tonite', on YouTube, with several celebrities and prominent personalities in the guest list. Amidst the buzz around his show, the actor recently opened up about how the industry has changed over the years. He shared that people now depend on formula-based projects and don't want to experiment.In an interview with the Hindustan Times, Shekhar Suman, who has been part of the industry for over four decades, shared, "Technically, we have become as good as any in the world. But somewhere we lack that originality." He added, "You have a set of actors who have a certain image to conform to, so they get stuck in that rut. And the directors, because of the financial pressures, are trying to find a formula."Shekhar Suman went on to call the new-age directors and actors "plagiarists". In the same conversation, he said, "There’s too much dependence on formula. They are plagiarists, not original thinkers like K. Asif, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, or Raj Kapoor. Their films have stayed for about 60-70 years."The 62-year-old actor stated that he still watches 'Ganga Jamuna', and 'Mughal-E-Azam' still gives him goosebumps. The show host said, "'Kaagaz Ke Phool', 'Pyaasa', or 'Mera Naam Joker' are classics because they were originals."Elaborating on the cause of unoriginality, he added, "Today, what has changed is that there's too much emphasis on making it successful rather than on making it more creatively beautiful. That's not a good sign. We have to return to being original and stick to our strengths and DNA. That's very important."More about Shekhar SumanShekhar Suman is currently hosting the talk show 'Shekhar Tonite'. The weekly show has featured Union minister Nitin Gadkari, while celebs like Bobby Deol, Manoj Bajpayee, Ali Fazal, and Farah Khan are set to be the guests in the upcoming episodes.The actor was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Heeramand: The Diamond Bazar'. It premiered on Netflix in May 2024.