Indian cinema in crisis, Vishal Bhardwaj says
Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj is worried about where Indian cinema is headed.
In his words, "good cinema" is in crisis, and the kind of movies that connect with our hearts are losing ground.
He's calling for a big change as streaming platforms and expensive tickets make things tough for filmmakers.
OTT platforms' role in the crisis
Bhardwaj points out that OTT platforms want films to hit theaters first but still turn down unique or niche stories.
On top of that, ticket prices keep climbing, and there's now an eight-week wait before movies move from theaters to streaming, much shorter than the old five- to six-month gap with TV.
All this means fewer people are watching these films and filmmakers are feeling the pinch.
Shift to streaming
Many of Bhardwaj's peers, like Anurag Kashyap and Imtiaz Ali, have shifted their focus to streaming because traditional releases just aren't working out.
Bhardwaj says this shift has come at a cost: "The casualty of this is cinema of the heart and sensibility."
Bhardwaj's latest film 'O' Romeo'
Even with all these challenges, Bhardwaj keeps making movies his way.
His latest film O' Romeo was recently released and got mixed reviews, but he's sticking to his vision, just like he did with cult favorites Maqbool and Haider.