‘Bollywood Diaries’ about cinema dreams: Ashish Vidyarthi

“The film is about three such people who live their normal lives but have separate dreams. They are attracted to the glitz and glamour of Bollywood and are waiting for that one chance to make their mark in the industry. The movie is about their psyche,” Vidyarthi said during an interaction at PTI office.

The 53-year-old National Award-winning actor, who has been a part of films like “Awarapan”, “Barfi!” and “R… Rajkumar”, said what attracted him to the script of “Bollywood Diaries” was that it had no sleaze.

“The best part about the script is that there is no sleaze and just reality. Often it happens that sleaze is used to convey real stories but that’s not the case with this film. In fact, Satyam has not taken any cliche route to describe the characters in the film. That’s commendable,” he said.

Raima plays Imli, a sex-worker from Sonagachi, Kolkata, who wants to be an actress.

The 36-year-old actress said she related to Imli’s struggles and aspirations.

“I could relate to the character’s aspirations for Bollywood, her struggles. We haven’t dealt with her profession in depth, it is just a part of her description. Her story is more about her dream to make it big as an actor,” she said.

The movie marks the Bollywood debut of Salim Diwan, who features as Rohit, a call-centre employee based in Delhi.

The newcomer said Rohit’s passion for Bollywood was similar to his which made it easier for him to get into the skin of the character.

“The character’s love and passion for cinema mirrors mine in real life. I joined my father’s pharmaceutical company but the acting bug never left me. Rohit’s journey is similar to mine.”

The director said it is high time a film on aspiring actors was made.

“There is a Bollywood dreamer in all of us. You see around and you will find a lot of people, who don’t say it out but keep the dream of becoming a star in their hearts. The movie is about these aspiration. It is a hopeful journey.”

The film will hit theatres this Friday, February 26.