India, Oct. 2 -- After over two decades in Hindi and Gujarati cinema, Manasi Parekh, co-producer of the recently released Gujarati comedy-drama Mitrata, believes regional cinema can now create its own stars instead of relying on established names. "There are only a handful of select stars. Teen chaar male stars hain, jisko har second film mein cast kiya jaata hai. So, we want to change that, and we want to bring new talent," she tells us. The actor-producer believes that new talent and stories are essential for keeping Gujarati cinema fresh. "Only when you have new talent will you have more content and freshness," she says, adding that newer faces could also help Gujarati cinema connect with a younger audience. Recalling Viraj Ghelani's casting in Jhamkudi (2024), which she co-produced with husband Parthiv Gohil, she says, "When we cast Viraj in our film, we wanted his audience, which is a young audience, to come and watch Gujarati films." Manasi and Parthiv also aim to take Gujarati cinema beyond its traditional audience. "Our intent was to make Gujarati cinema global," she says, recalling their presence at the Cannes Film Festival this year, where they announced three international projects....