Akhilendra Mishra Says Modern Bollywood Is Missing Memorable Characters: ‘The Rainbow Is Missing’

Akhilendra Mishra, an actor, states that the popularity of famous personalities in Bollywood films and TV series doesn’t last as long as it used to. In his opinion, contemporary films don’t portray different types of characters. He mentioned it recently in his interview.

Recently speaking with PTI, actor Akhilendra Mishra said, "Strong characters, rather than screen time, were the things that made supporting roles stick in people's memories. Earlier, people used to connect with the characters. Today, characters in films are not properly crafted. Everyone acts the same way and speaks in the same accent. Because of this, the color and identity of the characters have disappeared." When the audience can't connect with a character, it ultimately hurts the film.

He further adds, "When you see a rainbow, you invite others to see it too because it shows all seven colors. Similarly, different colors are needed in the story, acting, music, emotions, and presentation. Today, we only see white light; the rainbow is missing."

When asked why characters from old films are still remembered while many of today's characters are quickly forgotten, Akhilesh Mishra says, "Where are characters like Gabbar Singh, Mogambo, or Sakharam? Where are characters like Krur Singh and Mirchi Seth being written today? Police films are still being made, but you don't find such memorable characters. In fact, earlier, producers used to choose theater actors, like Amjad Khan and Amrish Puri, to play well-crafted characters."

He further adds, "What I mean to say is that the makers looked for actors who could fit the roles. I was chosen for the role of 'Kroor Singh' because of my work in theatre. John Mathew Mathan chose me for 'Sarfarosh' after seeing one of my plays."

However, the actor admits that the industry's working style has become more organized. He says, "The film industry has completely changed. New people have come in, and the way of working has become more modern and corporate. The good thing is that work has become systematic, and projects are completed on time, whether they are films or web series. This was not the case before."

Akhilendra Mishra is known for his roles as Kroor Singh in the serial 'Chandrakanta', Mirchi Seth in the film 'Sarfarosh', and DSP Bhurelal in 'Gangajal'.