"Films are my bread and butter"

Veterans in Bollywood are always seen encouraging new talent. So was Vinod Khanna when Metrolife spoke to him at a promotional event in the Capital recently.

Vinod Khanna plays a small yet important role in the upcoming film Ramaiya Vastavaiya, directed by Prabhu Deva and produced by Kumar S Taurani, releasing on July 19.

Reflecting on his association with the film, he said, “The shooting went off so smoothly that we didn’t even know when the film had finished. So that speaks very highly of Kumarji’s production team and everybody else who was involved in the film.”

Vinod Khanna is not seen as often in films now and being involved in politics simultaneously takes up a lot of his time. Khanna doesn’t however feel disconnected from Bollywood. “There is absolutely no detachment. Whatever work comes we have to do it.” Talking of his busy schedule and how he has to manage everything together, he adds, “I have a lot of responsibilities and have to take out time for everything. It is not that you can concentrate only on films. Elections are approaching so I have to prepare for
that too.”

Just as every Bollywood star yearns to spend more time with their family, Vinod Khanna is balancing all his involvements. “My kids are young – my daughter is going to a university in America for her studies, so I have to prepare for that. My son is being launched next year, so that has to be seen too,” shares the concerned father. His youngest son Sakshi Khanna will soon be seen on screen.

“My son is being trained by the best of people. I am very happy with his preparation. I recorded his progress and am very satisfied with his performance,” Khanna proudly states.

But as always, work remains a priority for him. “I will have to keep working. This is my bread and butter,” he answers when asked if he will be concentrating more on politics or films.

Bollywood Festival Norway, Norway’s most prestigious film festival, which is due to begin on September 6, recently honoured the veteran actor by organising a dinner for him in Oslo on April 14. “Oslo is a great place. The organisers had been requesting me for quite some time but I couldn’t go. But this time I kept my promise and had a great experience,” Khanna reminisces.

The actor was very appreciative of the upcoming actors in the industry, especially for debutant Girish Kumar who plays the lead in Ramaiya Vastavaiya. “The newcomers are great actors, they have terrific caliber,” he blesses.

Talking about the modern era Bollywood films, the actor said, “Films are a reflection of society. Whatever films are being made is a reflection of society. There is a demand for great story; today people just want to be entertained. While technically we are matching Hollywood, we need some good screenplay writers as writing a film is a very special talent. I hope it happens soon,” he wishfully signs off.