Indian film industry turns 100, Bollywood hails its growth

Mumbai: The Indian film industry turns 100 Friday and Bollywood celebrities like Anupam Kher and Govinda hail its overall growth and say they are grateful to be a part of the filmdom.

Actor Anupam Kher: There are news and entertaining channels, there are shopping malls, there are multiplexes, there are restaurants. So the audience are not completely dependent on cinema. That`s why I say it`s a golden age for the Hindi cinema. You can make the kind of films you want to and audience may like them. Actor Govinda: On behalf of my family, I want to thank everyone. We got all the name, fame, respect and everything here. Thank you so much the Indian film industry. A lot of good has happened in 100 years. There has been improvement. The improvement has been such that now we have gone international... So it has been good. Now, it has become more good for the youngsters. Whatever they do today, for that they get name, fame and international acclaim. Actor-director Saurabh Shukla: The journey has been good so far. Starting from Dadasaheb Phalke, the industry has grown progressively and has reached up to this level. This is a very important and special year for our industry. Composer Lalit Pandit said: Marvellous change has come in the Indian cinema. Technically, we have advanced very much. In music also we have advanced, in terms of structure of sound and recording...a lot of facilities have come now. More advanced films are being made now, comparatively very different subjects are being made now. Actor-filmmaker Satish Kaushik: Our cinema will progress more. I just want the piracy to be stopped and more theatres to be opened. There should be digital theatres so that the cinema can reach the small and remote areas, villages. Thus, its reach will increase. It`s very important to achieve it especially in the year of 100 years of indian cinema. IANS