It's age of good story, strong marketing: Madhureeta Anand

Independent filmmaker Madhureeta Anand, who made "Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye" and documentary "Wheel of Time", says importance of stars is reducing and focus is shifting to producers and directors and this is the reason why so many newcomers are getting a chance in the industry.

"It's not just today, the star system has always been extremely important. It is one of the key elements to define a film industry. I actually feel that today the star is way less important than he or she was before," Anand told IANS.

"What we are seeing today is the rise of the producer and director. This is the reason that we have so many new actors... 25 new leading men have been introduced in the past year itself. This a huge number."

"I think it's the age of a good story combined with some strong marketing," she added.

Anand is ready with her next film "Kajarya" that deals with women-related issues and stars some real people.

Talking about film and documentaries, she said: "They are extremely different forms of the same art, which is the art of filmmaking. While TV has immediate reach and is very deadline driven, documentaries and feature films can afford time and space to craft. I greatly enjoy both documentary and feature films and I try to alternate between the two."

After "Kajarya", she will make a romantic film.

"Since the release of my first film until I started work on 'Kajarya', I wrote a lot. So, I have three ready scripts that I am absolutely eager to make. The next in the line after 'Kajarya' is a romance set in Mumbai. Plus, I have a film festival that I run and I am working on my documentary on the Naga Sadhvis. So, my plate is full and I'm not complaining," she said.