Javed Akhtar Calls Out Bollywood For Losing Connectivity With Audience; Says 'Unknown South Stars Are Delivering...'

Screenwriter Javed Akhtar has joined the ongoing discussion about Bollywood going through a tough phase. Despite films like Chhaava and Stree 2 making big box office collections, Hindi cinema is still struggling to connect with the audience. Reviewing the situation of the industry, he shared the main reason behind it and pointed out that unknown South Indian actors are having big successes in Hindi films.

Javed Akhtar shared his views on the current status of Bollywood during a conversation with Aamir Khan at the launch of Aamir Khan: Cinema Ka Jadugar, a special film festival by PVR INOX. He said, "The [Hindi] films have lost all connectivity with the audience. Dubbed South Indian films, featuring stars who are unknown to audiences here in North India, are releasing and doing Rs 600-700 crore business. Even a few of our films that end up working stem from South movies. What happened to our people?"

Aamir stated that it’s not a North vs South problem and said, “The problem we are facing is something different. We’re not focusing on broader strokes like anger, love, and revenge. We should make films with conviction (like the South does). South films are what we used to call single-screen films — very mass, very rooted. Maybe Bollywood is focusing more on multiplex films."

Emphasizing that Bollywood is struggling due to a flawed business model, Aamir shared, "Ours is the only industry that goes around requesting people, ‘Please come and consume our product (film). If you don’t, we’ll come and drop it off at your doorstep in eight weeks (through OTT platforms). This is our business model. After eight weeks, you will get to watch my movie for which you had already paid (through a subscription). I don’t know how to sell the same product twice. Earlier, I used to watch movies because I had no option. Now, I go to theatres for the fancy of it. Since we can watch movies anywhere, there’s no absolute need to go to theatres. So we’ve killed our own business model."

Hed added, "Writers and directors in Hindi cinema are trying to entertain an audience that is slightly more refined. They have forgotten their roots, the basic emotions, the sharper emotions. We are choosing to talk about different aspects of life, we are not sticking to broader strokes."
Revealing how he thinks and brings out films differently, Aamir shared, "I can make only that which comes from within me. I don't think about whether it will be a hit or a flop."

Javed Akhtar agreed with what Aamir said and shared that there is a need for a longer gap of at least three to four months between theatrical and streaming releases to bring Indian cinema back to its core roots.