Kolkata, Aug 09: Glamorous actress of yesteryears Jaya Prada today regretted that 'underworld funding' and rampant piracy were tarnishing the image of Bollywood and said these 'evil forces' were systematically killing Indian cinema. "The industry is suffering badly due to certain evil forces like piracy and underworld. But no one is acknowledging these problems that are looking us in the eye today," Jaya Prada told an interactive session on 'Cinema as a medium of social change' here.
The star of superhits like 'Tohfa' and 'Sargam' said it was time for a concerted effort by both film industry professionals as well as the society to raise a voice against these forces.
"We are certainly not happy that the film industry is sinking every passing day. It took long years of struggle for us to get the status of industry in the first place, and to see it crumble in front of our eyes is a sad thing," Jaya Prada said.
On the domination of the small screen on the film business, she said it was the credit of television professionals that they had managed to get more viewership than many big budget movies put together.
The former member of Rajya Sabha also made a strong case for film star-turned-politicians. "Since they already have name, fame and wealth, star politicians are more focussed in their social responsibilities as leaders. That is why MGR, NTR, Ronald Reagan and Jayalalitha have been highly successful in their political lives."
Bureau Report