Siddharth Roy Kapur: ‘Biggest challenge is finding story that would appeal to wider section of audience’

One of the major shifts is the change in audience habits. They are now used to watching content in the comfort of their homes. To bring them to the cinemas is becoming more challenging. Therefore, the movies that are working theatrically have shifted. The other key shift is that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going to disrupt the entire ecosystem — both, when it comes to cost cutting and saving production time as well as in terms of creativity. Audio-visual AIs are penetrating the market. There are also so many tools available when it comes to writing and music. Another shift is in the content itself. The global markets have opened up for Indian cinema and content. We have the ability to use that to our advantage.

You said AI might prove to be a disruptor. Is that good or bad?

There can be bad fallouts of disruption. That’s something we need to control. Intellectual Property (IP) should be sacrosanct. One shouldn’t be infringing upon others’ IP, personality rights, voice rights and others. It’s important that writers should not feel marginalised. When it comes to the usage of AI to reduce costs and increase efficiency, it should be used in positive ways.

Are the producers taking steps to protect the rights of writers and other creative persons?

There are conversations going on between producers and screenwriters’ association for a common minimum contract that writers can sign with producers. Finally, it will be up to each individual producer to decide whether they want to do this or not.

How is the world looking at the Indian entertainment industry?

At a broad level, the India story has reached the world. A lot of progressive countries have tried to align with India. Film and entertainment happens to be a large area (for business). So, the world is definitely looking to India for talent and revenue generation opportunities.

Do you think the Hindi film industry has lost touch with the masses?

It is true that because we have to cater to such a wide audience, we tend to not be rooted in our narratives. The regional industry has the benefit of catering to one audience and one market. We have to go back to the basics — telling stories that we understand and believe in. These should be stories that belong to the world we inhabit rather than about a world we know nothing about or trying to tell stories about a rarefied world that the mass of India is not really able to understand.

This trend might have started in the 1990s when we started telling stories about NRIs — the experience of Indians living abroad that possibly alienated the masses in India. That disconnect has increased. Whenever a film comes with a rooted narrative, be it Stree 2, Munjya, 12th Fail or Chhaava, it appeals to a wider audience.

Why are we not able to make something like Dangal (2016) which did well in India and abroad?

Dangal is a great example of a movie that managed to be rooted and yet reached out to the world. But how many such movies come by? It takes someone with the talent of director Nitesh Tiwari to take a story like that and add humour, emotions and drama. Narratives like this should be our inspiration.

Are we not nurturing enough talented directors and writers?

We can’t ever claim that we have done enough. Many of us try to do the best we can. Of course, we can do more — pay our writers better, give them more credit and help them with training programmes to enhance their craft. At this point, it becomes tough for the writers to make a living if they are doing only one thing. They have to do multiple things and the quality of their work suffers. Directors are still treated better than writers. They enjoy the glory when the film works, so do the actors, not so much the producers. That’s fine. We enjoy being behind the scenes (laughs).

In the given scenario, what’s the biggest challenge before you as a producer?

The biggest challenge is finding a story that would appeal to a wider audience. Finding stories that are engaging and entertaining, then helping the team to set it up the right way. This is a challenge that every producer faces. The beauty of the job is to find the next big story.

Are the producers averse to taking risks?

Any creative undertaking is a risk. If you don’t take risks, that’s the riskiest thing of all. People want to watch new shows. They wish for experiences that are fresh and interesting. If you rely on things that have worked in the past, it might work for a little while, but it is not a long-term solution or creative strategy. We have got to find new ways of doing things.

Will they back a project like Adolescence?

I was blown away by the show. I would like to believe that if such a show came to me, I would have definitely fought to make it.

Why are we relying so much on franchises or sequels?

It is a global trend. That’s because they have an inbuilt value and world. An established franchise has got the name, recognition and love from the audience. You are leveraging that. To set up something completely new is going to be more difficult. I believe we should continue to make sequels and franchises. It will be great to mix that up with stories that are unique and interesting.

What kind of course correction would you suggest to filmmakers?

It is important to go back to the basics — telling great stories, backing creative voices and allowing innovations in content creation — while working on projects both for theatrical release and streaming services. We need to accept that there are certain things that data/algorithms will never be able to tell you. Therefore, we should be able to take those leaps of faith.