As filmmakers we aspire to make good cinema because we influence people with our thoughts: Juhi Chawla

Juhi Chawla, who made her big screen debut nearly three decades back with Mukul S Anand's 'Sultanat' is still lauded for her perfect comic timing, in-depth understanding of roles and a super-vivacious personality. In an exclusive interaction with IBNLive.com, the actress who recently visited the capital for promotion of her latest release 'Chalk N Duster' co-starring Shabana Azmi spoke about the importance of imparting thought-provoking messages in the main stream cinema and her enriching working experience with the veteran actress.

When asked about the relevance of social messages in commercial films, the 'Gulaab Gang' actress quipped about cinema being a medium of entertainment before anything else and also highlighted the importance of incorporating important lessons in the purview of the story line only. "We as filmmakers aspire to make good cinema because we can influence people with our thoughts. Cinema, a very strong medium is there to tell you stories. You have to entertain them. If some good messages are incorporated in that entertainment channel itself, then only your film becomes memorable; it becomes a classic. People pay money to go in, you can’t really lecture them."

The actress, who is known for her incredible performances not only in Hindi language films but also in various regional languages including Punjabi, Tamil, and Bengali, believes that a good script is all you need for making an effective film. Quoting Alfred Hitchcock's famous saying 'To make a great film you need three things - the script, the script and the script', she said, "Once you’ve got a good script in hand, chances are you’ll make a good film. So it’s the foundation that has to be strong. When you do any work, not just films, it’s the preparation that will take you far. If you want to make a flyby-night film then its okay, you can do anything. But if you wish to go higher in life, try and make something which people say 'Wow' after looking at."

Known for her versatile range of films, the 'Yes Boss' actress recently shared the screen space with veteran actress Shabana Azmi in an education-based film 'Chalk N Duster'. While sharing her first-time experience with Shabana Azmi, she confessed to have been 'in awe' because of her presence and how the 'Arth' actress inspired her to grasp the in-depth understanding for their role-play. "First of all, I was in awe because of Shabana ji’s presence. I'm learning so much from her. I have observed her as an actor and have learnt so many things from her; how she goes into a character and how she works on it. From the dress to her mannerisms, even her immediate surroundings on the set; she takes care of everything. What a lady!"

'Chalk N Duster' that hit the theatres on January 15 opened with a mix bag of reviews. Starring Juhi Chawla, Shabana Azmi and Divya Dutta in pivotal roles, the film highlights the plight of teachers and the loopholes in the education management systems.