'Fake and money-oriented': Prakash Raj criticizes Hindi cinema
What's the story
Actor Prakash Raj has criticized mainstream Hindi cinema, calling it "fake" and "money-oriented." He made these comments during a session at the ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) on Saturday. The actor said that, unlike Malayalam and Tamil films, which he praised for their strong storytelling, Hindi films have lost their roots.
Critique
Raj says Hindi cinema lacks depth
Raj, who has starred in Bollywood films such as Dabangg 2 and Singham, said that Hindi cinema has become like a "Madame Tussauds museum" where "everything looks beautiful, wonderful, like plastic." He said, "In the present context, I feel Malayalam and Tamil cinema are making very strong films... Hindi cinema, on the other hand, has lost its roots."
Industry shift
Raj's analysis of Hindi cinema's decline
Raj, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam films, traced the decline of Hindi cinema to the post-multiplex era. He said this was when the industry started catering primarily to urban audiences. "After multiplexes, the Bombay film industry started making films only for multiplexes... Because they were running well. They went into that Page 3 culture and with that lost the touch with rural Rajasthan and Bihar," he explained.
Industry focus
Raj's concerns about the current state of Hindi cinema
Raj also expressed concern that the industry's focus on glamor and surface-level aesthetics has weakened its emotional connection with viewers. He lamented the decline of nation-building narratives that once defined post-independence Hindi cinema. To support his argument, he cited the 1977 blockbuster Amar Akbar Anthony and its famous scene of three men from different religions donating blood to save one person. "Now, it's not like that anymore. Today, it's all about money and appearances...reels, page 3 coverage."
Future outlook
Raj's hope for Tamil cinema
Raj further expressed hope for the future of Tamil cinema. He praised new young directors for addressing social issues like Dalit rights in their films. "We (the South) still have stories to tell, the new young directors of Tamil are talking about Dalit issues. And that gives so much of hope," he said. Meanwhile, the four-day KLF is hosting over 400 speakers, including Nobel Laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah and Abhijit Banerjee, astronaut Sunita Williams, and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.