Paresh Rawal welcomes era of Divyendu, Pankaj and Vikrant

Paresh Rawal said that Hindi cinema is witnessing a golden period because of major changes in both audience and production behaviour. He said that it's a good thing that star-driven films are no longer working because viewers are now demanding more from the people they used to idolise.

In an appearance on a hit series, the actor said that now, stardom belongs to actors who can perform. He also hailed the presence of foreign studios in India because this has stopped producers from stealing international 'garbage' and passing it off as original content.

"I believe that Hindi cinema is entering a golden period. We've already entered a golden period with the kind of writers, directors and acting talent we have. Producers' mindsets have changed. The culture has changed. The structure of financing has changed. And because of OTT, the audience is evolving as well. The audience will lap up good material in theatres and on OTT. If it isn't good, it'll be thrown away," he said.

He continued, "Now, even stars will have to act. They will have to play characters. They can't get away with having the same mannerisms. Slowly, over time, the audience has realised that what it has been served is subpar. Maze ki baat hai jo star the woh star nahi rahe. Divyendu is a star, Pankaj Tripathi is a star, Vikrant Massey is a star and the actors in 'Jamtara' are stars. Stardom now will not stay forever, like it used to. People will remain stars as long as they're doing good work."

The actor added, "Earlier, people used to steal foreign scripts. Now, their offices have opened up here; their lawyers will slap you with a notice. That door has been closed. Virtue out of helplessness. Now, they're starting to write original scripts. We were so stupid. We have such rich material in our own country and we were stealing their garbage."