Regional cinema hasn't overtaken Bollywood: Shilpa Tulaskar

Actress Shilpa Tulaskar, who has been a prominent name in the Marathi film industry, feels that Indian regional cinema has changed in a good way over the years, but it still hasn't overtaken Bollywood.

"I will take it offensively if one will say that Indian regional cinema has evolved today. It went through a bad phase in the 1990s. It hasn't evolved, rather it has changed how television has. Or we can say that it has evolved in a good way," Shilpa told IANS.

"We were always there making beautiful films. Also, the number has increased today. Though it has not taken over Bollywood or Hindi films. We can say that it has come to power," Shilpa, best known for her roles in Marathi films like "Anandache Jhaad", "Devki" and "Dombivali Fast", said.

However, as for Marathi cinema, Shilpa feels it still has to "become as strong as the southern industry".

"But we should not forget that southern industry also comprises of three-four states. Numbers-wise we can't match them. If you make bad cinema, nobody is going to last and I feel Bollywood is equally churning out good films," she said.

On television, Shilpa has been portraying the role of a mother on various shows like "Devon Ke Dev - Mahadev", "Dill Mill Gayye" and "Veer Shivaji".

Asked whether actors today, irrespective of their age, are getting to portray different types of roles on TV, Shilpa said: "No, not really. It is a personal experience that I would like to share. What happened was when I was playing lead roles, that time I got married at the age of 24 and went away to have a baby".

"By the time I came back 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' had happened. Since then I have been playing the role of a mother. We have always wanted young beautiful mothers who can also perform. So I have just supplied to a demand," she added.

Shilpa also feels that TV creates a stereotypical image of an actor.

"...But films do it too. That's why I have been doing theatre which has shaped me as an artist," she added.

Shilpa will next be seen in the forthcoming show "Jana Na Dil Se Door" as actor Vikram Singh Chauhan's character, Atharva's mother Sujata.

The show, which will also feature Shivani Surve, will be aired on Star Plus starting May 9.