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Hrithik Roshan agrees with filmmaker about audience addiction to stardom over cinema: ‘We haven't grown up’
Filmmaker Pratim D Gupta remarked in an Instagram post about a film's crew, including celebrated directors going unnoticed. Here's what he said.
Journalist-turned-filmmaker Pratim D Gupta recently penned a long post on Instagram about how Vijay Sethupathi and Sai Pallavi shooting in Kolkata got more attention than Mani Ratnam returning to the city or shooting with cinematographer Avik Mukhopadhyay. Actor Hrithik Roshan commented on his post, seemingly agreeing that the audience is addicted to stardom rather than to love for cinema.
Filmmaker’s post on cinema and stardom
In a long post, Pratim called the way cinema is celebrated in India ‘heartbreaking’. He wrote that Mani returned to Kolkata to shoot a film after Yuva, but the focus remained on Sethupathi and Pallavi. He also called out how nobody seemed to care that Mani was collaborating with Avik, a three-time National Award winner. The cinematographer was shooting a Tamil film for the first time.
“Perhaps this is not just a media problem. Perhaps it is a cultural problem. We have created a strange hierarchy where being seen has become more important than having made something,” wrote Pratim, adding, “A star walks into a restaurant and it becomes news. A great filmmaker walks into a city and we barely notice. A star waves from a car and thousands of people gather. A cinematographer creates an image that stays in our heads for twenty years and most people don't even know his name.”
He ended the note with, “Cinema is bigger than stardom. And if we don't learn to celebrate the people who make cinema, we will eventually reduce cinema itself to celebrity spotting.”
Hrithik Roshan agrees, says this about stars
Hrithik commented under Pratim’s post and agreed with him, “Cinema is bigger than stardom (red heart emoji) well said (clapping emoji). Unfortunately we have a very superficial understanding of cinema here in india.” The actor further claimed that the audience here believes that whatever the star does on-screen reflects who they are in real life.
“Like how kids believe. Somehow we haven't grown up to understand where the actual art lies. I hope more people discuss this. And start getting fascinated by all the other perhaps even more important aspects of filmmaking,” he added.
About Pratim Gupta and Hrithik Roshan
Pratim was a journalist before debuting as a filmmaker with the 2012 Dia Mirza-starrer Paanch Adhyay. He has since helmed Bengali films such as X: Past Is Present, Shaheb Bibi Golaam and Maacher Jhol. His most recent film was Ranna Baati in 2025. He debuted on OTT with the 2023 Netflix web series Tooth Pari: When Love Bites. In 2025, he helmed Karma Korma for Hoichoi.
Hrithik last starred in the YRF spy film War 2 and played a cameo in Alpha. He also featured in the Netflix documentary, The Roshans. His production house, HRX films, is producing Storm and Mess for Prime Video. He will also debut as a director with Krrish 4.
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