“I think our cinema has stayed in its adolescent stage largely because of our obsession with and our dependence upon stars to make our movies. The stars, being only too human, realise that this is the case, and so they milk it for whatever it's worth, and who can blame them?”

Indian actor, mainly in Hindi films

Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian actor, active mainly in Hindi films, and a major figure in Indian cinema. He has worked across the parallel cinema movement and has also appeared in international productions. Known for a long and varied career, Shah has received several major honours, including three National Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards and the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 1987 and the Padma Bhushan in 2003 for his contribution to Indian cinema.