Shekhar Suman has seen Hindi cinema evolve through multiple generations, from the era of arthouse classics and family dramas to today’s fast-moving commercial entertainment landscape. The actor, television host, and performer recently opened up about his four-decade-long journey in the industry while also sharing some brutally honest opinions about the current state of Bollywood filmmaking. And according to him, the biggest problem modern cinema faces right now is the lack of originality.
The veteran actor recalled how quickly his career began after arriving in Mumbai in the early 1980s. Within just days of moving to the city, Shekhar landed the lead role opposite Rekha in Utsav, directed by the legendary Girish Karnad. Looking back at that phase, Shekhar described himself as “lucky” and strongly credited destiny for opening doors at the right time. He said that an actor can only succeed when the right opportunities arrive, and for him, those opportunities appeared unusually fast after entering the industry.
After Utsav, the actor went on to feature in films like Nache Mayuri, Sansar, and Tridev before eventually shifting toward television during the 1990s. That move turned out to be another major turning point in his career. Shows like Dekh Bhai Dekh and Reporter became hugely popular with audiences, while Moves & Shakers later transformed him into one of India’s earliest and most recognisable late-night television hosts.
Shekhar Suman Calls Today’s Directors ‘Plagiarists’
While reflecting on the current film industry, Shekhar Suman admitted that Indian cinema has become technically stronger than ever before. According to him, filmmakers today can match global standards in terms of production quality, visuals, and technology. But at the same time, he believes the emotional and creative originality that once defined Hindi cinema is slowly disappearing under commercial pressure.
The actor strongly criticised modern filmmakers for relying too heavily on formulas instead of creating stories rooted in originality and emotional depth. In fact, he bluntly described many present-day directors as “plagiarists” rather than original thinkers. Comparing today’s cinema with legendary filmmakers like K. Asif, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor, Shekhar argued that older films continue surviving for generations because they were created with authenticity and vision instead of market formulas.
He specifically mentioned classics like Mughal-e-Azam, Gunga Jumna, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Pyaasa and Mera Naam Joker while talking about timeless storytelling. According to Shekhar, those films continue giving audiences goosebumps decades later because they were driven by creativity rather than calculations about box office success. He feels today’s industry has become too obsessed with making commercially successful products instead of emotionally meaningful cinema.
Shekhar Suman Returns To Spotlight With New Projects
After spending many years focusing mostly on television hosting and non-fiction entertainment, Shekhar made his acting comeback in Heeramandi, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. His appearance in the series reminded audiences of his screen presence again, and the actor says he has now signed several new projects following the response to the show.
Alongside acting, Shekhar has also returned to the talk show format with his latest YouTube series Shekhar Tonite. The show recently premiered with Nitin Gadkari as the first guest, while upcoming episodes are expected to feature names like Bobby Deol, Manoj Bajpayee, Ali Fazal and Farah Khan.
Even at 62, Shekhar Suman honestly sounds far from done with the industry. But at the same time, his comments clearly reflect a frustration many veteran actors and filmmakers seem to share quietly — that Bollywood may be getting bigger globally, but somewhere along the way, it risks losing the originality that once made its stories unforgettable.
