Vikram Bhatt to Bollywood: Bring Back the Seetis, Not Just the Scripts!

Veteran director Vikram Bhatt has spoken out on Bollywood's current plight at the box office, blaming the industry's "dull phase" on being out of touch with mass audiences. In a frank interview, Bhatt insisted that Bollywood has moved away from producing massy, crowd-drawing films and instead focused on niche fare, while South Indian cinema continues to flourish by entertaining the masses.".

 

"Everybody forgot the masses and went to niche films. And in COVID, the audience's culture of watching movies in cinemas vanished. We ceased producing massy films. If you look at the South industry, it's booming because it always keeps the mass audience in mind. They still want to watch superheroes, want to watch Pushpa, want to watch Kantara. They still think the villain is a villain, still whistle and clap. Hum toh waisi films banana bhul gaye jise dekhkar audience seeti aur taaliya bajaye," Bhatt said.

 

Bhatt observed that South Indian blockbusters such as Pushpa and Kantara have found success with high-octane, urgent narratives that bring in audiences again and again. He mentioned his own recent release, Tumko Meri Kasam, which, being well-received by critics, couldn't cash in at the box office because it lacked "urgency"—a trait he feels is crucial for mass audience appeal.

 

The director asked Bollywood directors to work on making movies that create buzz and hype, making viewers impatient for the "first day, first show" treatment. According to Bhatt, only by going back to where it all began can Bollywood regain its erstwhile box office glory. 

 

Relevant Sources: Times Now New