Suniel Shetty on Oscars 2023: Our music and cinema have always held a special place globally

In January 20203, when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yodi Adhityanath visited Mumbai, actor Suniel Shetty was among the actors from Bollywood who interacted with him and brought up the need to focus on the achievements of the film industry. This was in reaction to the negative hashtag #BoycottBollywood that was trending at the time.

Since then, not just Bollywood, but the entire Indian film industry has received a lot of positivity, including the historical box office collection of Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan and the winning two Oscars yesterday - one for RRR and another for The Elephant Whisperes. 

Suniel recently interacted with the media ahead of the release of Hunter - Tootega Nahi, Todega. He was asked how he viewed this change.

Suniel said, "I see this change as something positive, because I never look at the entertainment industry in any negative way. You see, I am from the South (referring to the fact that he is a Mangalurean), but Bollywood is my karmabhoomi. This film industry has given me everything. We also must remember one thing: our cinema and music have always united people across the country. When the international audience reacts to our cinema, it is also because of the music (referring to the fact that the song Naatu Naatu from RRR won an Oscar). Some of them hold the value of nostalgia. In fact, in our new show, Hunter..., we have used a lot of music. That is the beauty of Bollywood."

He went on to add, "When we started the CCL (Celebrity Cricket League), we did it with the intention to unite people and bring them together on one platform. We started it 12 years ago, so we have always been standing as one, but suddenly people are talking about unity now."

Hunter - Tootega Nahi, Todega is directed by Alok Batra and Prince Dhiman, and showcases Suniel as a police officer who packs several punches. The show also stars Esha Deol, Barkha Singh, Rahul Dev, Karanvir Sharma, Smita Jaykar, and Pawan Chopra. It releases on Amazon miniTV on March 22.