The Gujarati entertainment industry is doing its work, now it's the audience's turn to open up to Gujarati cinema: Sunil Vaghela

Sunil Vaghela has now been in Gujarati showbiz for almost 20 years and has acted in and also directed a number of films and plays. Says Vaghela, "The Gujarati entertainment industry is very small and so for survival, we need to be involved in all aspects of it. Unlike Bollywood, where you need to focus on one thing only - an actor may write a song or two but he won't be a lyricist, actor, director, producer, cinematographer all rolled into one.But here, for monetary survival also, you need to always have something going. When I am not doing films, I have a play running or a television show going on. That's how it works." Apart from acting in various Gujarati films like 'Hu Premi No 1' and 'Raghuvanshi' where he played the lead character, Sunil has also done a small role in Nandita Das's Firaaq and another Bollywood movie with Gracy Singh, Seema Biswas and Ashish Chaudhary called 'The White Land'. "People keep asking why I don't move to Bollywood and try my luck there. This is what is keeping the Gujarati film industry from rising, when our own people don't value our films and shows, how can we expect others to do so? The Gujarati entertainment industry has recently seen a lot of new talent coming in with good scripts and its doing its work, now its upto the audience, it is their turn to open up to us." So what all has been lined up in the future? "I have a film 'Prem Rog' that is slated for release in August where I play the negative character, apart from that one of my plays "Hasta Raho Gamta Raho' has just opened so I am currently busy with that."