Padma Awards: Prosenjit Chatterjee says Indian cinema will soon be at par with Hollywood
Mumbai, May 25
Bengali cinema legend Prosenjit Chatterjee, who received India's fourth-highest civilian honour, feels that the current situations are very favourable for Indian talent to break out on international platforms.
The actor was feted with the Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu. The veteran actor was honoured in the field of Art for his decades-long contribution to Indian cinema.
Talking about the honour, he told IANS, "I am very happy to get the Padma Shri. I have been working for more than 40 years. I have worked in more than 400 films. I am very thankful to my audience. I am very thankful to the people of my country. And of course, finally, the Indian government for giving me this most respectful award".
In visuals from the ceremony, the actor was seen dressed in an elegant kurta as he walked up to receive the honour.
The actor said that Indian cinema is evolving and the government is bringing a lot of schemes to support the cinema.
He further mentioned, "Cinema is something that remains. My father was also an actor, Mr. Biswajit. We have given our lives to entertain people. And we couldn't do anything else. But the most important thing is that we are entertaining people. And the way cinema is evolving, our government is also bringing a lot of schemes. They are also helping individual directors. So, I think that our Indian cinema will soon reach the same place on the international platform as we say in Hollywood films".
He continued, "There will be a time when our Indian cinema is not just Hindi. There are many good films being made in many languages. And I think that this Indian cinema is a very good time for our next generation on the global platform. Yes, it is important for me to tell you that our language cinema, I don't call it regional cinema, there are so many languages in India. There are Marathi, Bengali, Malayali, Punjabi. There are so many talents. And they are slowly being brought to a platform. We produce the most films in the world".
"So, all these talents are not just regional or one language. These are our Indian talents. I think that the movement that the Indian government has started, in this combination of talents, any good actor, Punjabi, maybe he is doing Hindi, an actor is doing Tamil, this strength of creativity will increase", he added.
The Padma awards were held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the national capital.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Well said, Prosenjit ji. Indian cinema is already at par with Hollywood in terms of storytelling and innovation. Look at films like 'RRR', 'The Kashmir Files', or even recent Bengali gems—they hold their own globally. The government should focus on better distribution and subtitles for regional films. That's where we lose out.
I respect the actor but honestly, we need to stop comparing ourselves to Hollywood. Our cinema has its own identity—masala films, parallel cinema, regional masterpieces. The day we stop imitating and start celebrating our own style, we'll truly shine. Also, happy for his Padma Shri! 🎬
He's right about regional cinema finally getting its due. Marathi, Malayalam, Bengali, Tamil—each industry has incredible talent. The problem is distribution and marketing. If a Bengali film gets a pan-India release like 'Kantara', it'll work everywhere. Hope the government's schemes help with that. Congratulations to Prosenjit Chatterjee! 👏
I'm skeptical. The government talks about supporting cinema but where's the ground-level action? Tax benefits, single-screen theater renovation, or even funding for indie films? Prosenjit is a legend, no doubt, but his optimism feels like wishful thinking. We're nowhere near Hollywood in terms of infrastructure or global audience.
Prosenjit-da's words are so heartfelt! "Entertaining people" is the purest form of service. His reference to his father Biswajit shows the legacy. I just wish the Padma awards had more journalists and critics
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