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When Aamir Khan and Javed Akhtar talk about cinema, you listen. Not merely because they are industry veterans with decades of experience, but because, in their prime, they redefined the way movies were approached, perceived and conceived — playing key roles in elevating Bollywood to unimaginable heights. Recently, the two icons shared their thoughts on the challenges plaguing the Hindi film industry and the valuable lessons it can take from southern cinema.
“We’re not focusing on the broader strokes like anger, love and revenge. We should make films on 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,” the Bollywood superstar remarked at the launch of Aamir Khan: Cinema Ka Jadugar, a special film festival by PVR INOX celebrating his 60th birthday and his contributions to Indian cinema.
Commenting on Bollywood’s situation today, he observed: “We’re telling our consumers that you can come and consume our product (film). If you don’t, we’ll bring it to you in eight weeks (through OTT platforms), when it will be free of cost as you’ve already paid for it (through subscription). I don’t know how to sell a product twice. Earlier, I used to watch movies because I had no option. Now, it’s dependent on a fancy for films. So we’ve killed our own business model.” Javed, meanwhile, emphasised the need for a longer gap of at least three-four months between theatrical and streaming releases. “Even a hit film releases on OTT in just 4 weeks.”
Despite these concerns, both Aamir Khan and Javed Akhtar remained optimistic about the industry’s revival. “It’s like a cycle. You make mistakes and then course correct,” Aamir said, to which Javed added, “Hum jaldi samajh jaye toh achha hai. Nahi toh humari cycle hi bik jaegi (The sooner we understand this, the better. Otherwise, we’ll have to sell even our bicycles).”
Opening up about the unpredictable nature of the box office, where well-received films often struggle, Javed noted: “I haven’t seen a better film than Superboys of Malegaon in 6-7 years. All reviews have given it 4-4.5 stars. But it has not worked in theatres.” Aamir echoed this sentiment, pointing to the underwhelming box office performance of Laapataa Ladies, directed by his ex-wife Kiran Rao, despite widespread acclaim. “I haven’t met a single person who hasn’t loved Laapataa Ladies. But it didn’t work at the box office,” he added.
Addressing the argument that “inflated” ticket, food and beverage prices at theatre chains were driving audiences away, Javed dismissed it as an excuse. “You pay a lot of money in a 5-star hotel. Similarly, you should pay for the facilities in a multiplex. If you don’t want to, you should go watch in a single screen. Who’s stopping you?” the legendary screenwriter-lyricist asked. Aamir agreed, adding, “They say popcorn price is an issue. But Pushpa dekhne jate ho tab kahan jate hai aapka popcorn?”
It may be recalled that a few months ago, filmmaker Karan Johar suggested that rising costs were discouraging audiences from visiting theatres. However, the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) countered this claim with data, explaining why ticket prices fluctuate frequently.
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