Acclaimed poet, lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar, who was at the 16th Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), said that Indian cinema is one of the strongest goodwill ambassadors in the world and hence Indian films should be respected.
Answering a query by IANS at a presser on the sidelines of JLF on the current ‘Boycott Bollywood’ trend, Akhtar said, “This ‘Boycott Bollywood’ trend will not help. People in India love movies, be it in north, south, west or eastern part of the country. We are a nation of ‘Movie Bhakts’… It is in our DNA to listen to stories, to tell stories, and this has been the trend for ages. Our stories always come along with songs… Hindi films did not invent it. One should respect Hindi cinema.”
“Our films are released in 35-36 countries worldwide. Indian cinema is one of the strongest goodwill ambassadors in the world. If we start doing a headcount, our stars are better recognised in the world than even Hollywood stars. You go to Egypt or Germany and tell people ‘I am an Indian’, they immediately ask if you know Shah Rukh Khan. Our films spread goodwill in the world,” Akhtar added.
