Mainstream Hindi cinema has regressed: Pakistani film critic

Kolkata: The quality of mainstream Hindi cinema has deteriorated over the years, feels eminent Pakistani film critic Mira Hashmi.

"I don`t think much has changed. In fact, if you look at just the broad mainstream Hindi cinema, it has regressed. And it has regressed to all sorts of low new levels," Hashmi said at the fourth Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival here Thursday. Participating in a panel discussion on "Transgressions: Essaying the new in Indian cinema", Hashmi said she finds the concept of item numbers "very disturbing". "Just the idea - it is called an item number! What is the `item` that we are talking about? It is the women. In so many of these item numbers, the cinematography is just mind-boggling because a lot of the time the camera will chop the head off and all you`ll see is the body. "So you have kind of separated the mind and face from it. I find that very disturbing," he said. Snubbing the idea that films based on women as protagonists do not make money, she suggested more such movies should be made. "I think it is nonsense that films based on women as protagonists do not make money. Look at `Kahaani`, which was one of the most profitable films. Give women a break. Let us have some stories based on women," said Hashmi. IANS