Tinsel world needs a 'brutally' honest introspection: Das

Not a mere introspection, but only a "brutally" honest one by the Indian tinsel world can lift their standards to make further inroads into international arena, says Nandita Das.

Not a mere introspection, but only a "brutally" honest one by the Indian tinsel world can lift their standards to make further inroads into international arena, says Nandita Das, a recent entrant among acclaimed jurors of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

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With Indian cinema, particularly the Bollywood potboilers, becoming increasingly popular among the Diaspora, Nandita feels that it is high time to explore all possible ranges of the 100-year-old medium, both in its form and content.

"I think we should be brutally honest and ask ourselves whether the films we make are worth for this level of international platform, like the Cannes," Nandita, who treaded a 'parallel' path in Indian celluloid, told PTI from the United States.

The actress, who shot into fame with her portayal of a lesbian in Deepa Mehta's 'Fire,' says that certain films which had shown "great sensitivity and artistic expression" were overlooked.

"Some times, those behind the camera were unable to go through the process that is required for submission and acceptance in film festivals of international importance," Nandita, who became the second Indian actress to become a jury member at Cannes after Aiswariya Rai last year, said.

But, she thinks, "it was not lack of money, talent or stories that stop us from producing masterpieces now a days."

For Nandita, the invitation to the jury is a validation of the choices she made in her artistic and social life.