Zaveri credits SRK's 'Pathaan' for reviving Bollywood after COVID-19
What's the story
Filmmaker Milap Zaveri, known for his mass entertainers like Satyameva Jayate and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, recently opened up about the current state of Bollywood. He believes that the industry's struggle to attract audiences is due to filmmakers catering more to critics than to the masses. He told Variety India, "We started shying away from that. So our films stopped working."
Post-COVID resurgence
'It achieved the numbers, which no Hindi film...'
Zaveri also acknowledged the role of Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan in reviving Bollywood after COVID-19. He said, "I must give credit to Siddharth Anand, YRF, and Shah Rukh Khan, that they made Pathaan." "It achieved the numbers, which no Hindi film had reached." "They showed us that you can make a commercial Hindi masala film with a superstar, and the audiences will come to the theatre."
Industry changes
'It's sad that so many theaters, especially single screens...'
Zaveri also expressed his disappointment over the closure of single-screen theaters in small towns and cities. He said, "It's sad that so many theaters, especially single screens, have shut down in India." "We are to blame because we stopped making films for the masses." "Because we were so enamored by a handful of elite critics in Mumbai that we started worrying we wouldn't be cool if we made a commercial, massy film."
New venture
Meanwhile, learn more about his upcoming film
Currently, as per the outlet, Zaveri is busy with his next untitled romantic drama, which will mark his reunion with actor Harshvardhan Rane after Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat. The film is being produced by T-Series and also stars Akanksha Sharma in a pivotal role.