Rahul Bose believes in calling a spade a spade. Recently seen in the web film Berlin, which also made rounds at several film festivals, Bose feels the distinction between a commercial star and an arthouse actor is very much alive in the industry.

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Elaborating on the same, the 57-year-old actor shares, “A star is someone, whom the audiences have accepted, regardless of their acting skills. But don’t get me wrong, many stars are fine actors. But when audiences come to watch stars like [actor] Tom Cruise — whether he is playing a Vietnam War veteran or a fighter pilot — nothing else matters but the charisma of that actor, which can transcend factors like script, performance and the role.”

Bose, in a career spanning two decades in the film industry, has delivered impressive performances in films such as Shaurya (2008), Dil Dhadakne Do (2015) and Bulbbul (2020).

For actors who aren’t treated as stars, Bose opines, drawing audiences on the basis of a name alone is impossible. “There is an established spectrum in the industry. So, people often think, ‘Oh this guy is not going to get people by name alone but he might draw people because his role is interesting.’ Accordingly, you might feel great after meeting the star, but when you’d meet the actor, you might come to appreciate them, even if a little late,” he ends.