Hansal Mehta says new talent is not getting chances, but 'big guys' keep getting cast: ‘How many times have they failed’

Hansal Mehta and Pratik Gandhi urged makers in Bollywood to work with new talent instead of relying on big names and the same set of people.

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta and actor Pratik Gandhi were equivocal in their support for new talent in the Hindi entertainment industry. Speaking at the second edition of the Cinevesture International Film Festival on Friday, they said taking a chance on new talent is a small risk that comes with many benefits, but the industry has closed that route in the name of safety. (

Hansal Mehta has spoken about new talent in Bollywood.

Hansal Mehta on new talent

Mehta, who, in a recent post on X, had spoken about the topic, said in the 2000s, there were studios like UTV that promoted newcomers. Applause Entertainment, according to Mehta, is doing something similar by backing people like Gandhi, Zahan Kapoor and Gaggan Dev Rial and making a success out of it. “We are at an inflection point where there is a lot of talent, but they are not getting a chance. That pipeline is closed in the name of safety.

“It’s a proof of concept that it can work. The big guys that you keep giving chances to, how many times have they failed? What’s their success percentage? When they fail, they actually sink you. If you take a small risk (casting new talent), you will suffer less but the advantages are many,” he added.

Pratik Gandhi says new talent pool is shrinking

Pratik Gandhi, a Gujarati theatre and film artist who broke out in a big way with Mehta’s Scam series and has been a part of many great projects, urged producers and directors to be more open to working with newcomers.

“Be open to working with new talent. It is shrinking (the space for newcomers) everywhere and you are working only with a certain set of people. When you talk to people everyone says, ‘There are no good actors? There are so many actors who are waiting (for their chance). This gap can be filled only by directors and producers,” the actor said.

Gandhi is also part of Mehta’s ambitious series on Mahatma Gandhi. He said they have developed an understanding in the five years they have worked together on projects. His film Ghamasaan with filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia premiered at the festival on Friday.

The festival, which opened with South Korean film A Normal Family on Thursday, hosted sessions with film personalities such as Vikramaditya Motwane, Nandita Das, Abhishek Chaubey and Honey Trehan.

(With PTI inputs)