Mumbai, June 29 (IANS): Actor Sanjay Mishra, who is known for films like ‘Golmaal’, ‘Phas Gaye Re Obama’, ‘Welcome’, ‘Masaan’ and several others, has spoken up on the importance of literature and cinema in a common man’s life.

The actor attended the Himachal International Film Festival in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh on Saturday and interacted with the media at the Sanskriti Sadan at Kangnidhar.

He said, “People should be involved in films, literature and paintings. They teach a lot of good things to people.”

The actor also thanked the government for the Himalayan Expressway as it has helped the people of Himachal Pradesh connect seamlessly with other parts of India in the north.

Talking about the motive of film festivals, he said, “The purpose of any film festival is to help a certain kind of cinema reach the audience. The mainstream films get the benefit of market and exhibition but the smaller films or independent films, which are equally important to our pop culture, need to be taken to the audience that they deserve.”

He further mentioned that such a kind of cinema appeals to people and can bring in new talents into the industry which ultimately helps the overall ecosystem of cinema to thrive and evolve.