From celebrating river festivals to attending international film festivals, writer-lyricist-cum chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) Prasoon Joshi is a busy man. Yet, his heart lies in the art of writing and storytelling. Joshi, who hails from Uttarakhand feels that it is necessary for the Indian film industry to have people from all walks of life with diverse stories.
“There is a need to bring in fresh faces in the film industry from every region to represent them on the big screen. I come from Uttarakhand and do not belong to Mumbai. I used to believe that our film industry is being joined by only those who come from big cities,” he says.
Speaking to the ‘75 young minds’ from various states and regions, Joshi says “Diversity is important.” But diversity will come in our movies only when there will be diversity in our talent. For example, how can one see the true representation of a farmer's life? If a person who belongs to that milieu comes to the industry, only then you will get an honest depiction.”
The 75 youngsters, comprising seven female and 68 male artists, all below 35 years of age, were selected by a jury and later shortlisted by a grand jury, headed by Joshi. The initiative aims to hone the skills of creative minds and budding talent. Joshi, however, has a word of caution for youngsters.
“Given a choice, I will write something to inspire others and give back to society, instead of writing something to create a controversy,” he says. Joshi pointed out that today children don’t spend much time with their grandparents or elders as most are stuck playing video games or watching Youtube videos.
