Sharat Saxena says all ‘good roles written for old people go to Amitabh Bachchan’, people like him get ‘scrapings’

Sharat Saxena, known for his roles in films such as Mr India, Baghban and Krrish, called Bollywood ‘a young people’s industry’. He said that all good roles written for senior actors are offered to Amitabh Bachchan, while others like him are dealt ‘scrapings’ that are left.

Earlier this week, Sharat Saxena took to Instagram to share a picture of himself all bulked up and wrote, “Still trying very hard to become someone.#bollywood #hollywood #castingdirector #castingcall #hindifilms.” He was most recently seen in Amit Masurkar’s Sherni.

In an interview with Rediff, Sharat said, “The film industry is a young people’s industry, old people are not required here. Unfortunately, we are not dying away. We are still alive and we still want to work. How many roles do you think are written for old people in this industry? All the good roles written for old people go to Amitabh Bachchan. Whatever scrapings are left is dished out to people like me. And we refuse them most of the time. So the amount of work that a person like me can do is almost zero.”

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Sharat said that due to the scarcity of roles for senior actors, he keeps himself in shape so that he can look younger. “So at the age of 71, I work out for two hours every day so that I can beat the sh*t out of these 25-year-old guys. So that I look like a tough man. I colour my hair and moustache black. You have seen me in Sherni. I am 71 years old, but I have to make myself look 50-55. Otherwise, I’ll get no work,” he said. He added that while he does not ‘have to work’, he is not cut out for ‘living a retired life’ and is filled with a hunger to be in front of the camera.

Sharat started his career in the 1970s with supporting roles in films. He has acted in films such as Ghulam, Saathiya, Phir Hera Pheri and Bajrangi Bhaijaan.