Nawazuddin Siddiqui says indie films struggle at box office as they get fewer screens: 'People do not come to watch'

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is basking in the success of Thamma, spoke about the importance of preserving independent cinema in India.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been one of the poster boys of independent cinema for well over a decade. The acclaimed actor has been seen in critically acclaimed films like The Lunchbox, Photograph, Gangs of Wasseypur, and more. In a recent interaction, the 51-year-old lamented the lack of visibility and box office success for indie films in India, which struggle to gain a foothold while fighting against mainstream commercial entertainers.

Indie films are like classical art forms

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has starred in both independent films and mainstream entertainers.

In an interview with PTI, Nawazuddin said, "I’ll keep doing independent cinema. It is very important to balance it with a certain kind of mass film. I think it will be very bad if it happens (independent cinema fizzles out). I think it should continue to be made... It is said that our classical forms, be it songs, dance, etc, have never been popular, it is only because a few people can understand it.”

The actor, who has balanced his indie film projects with mainstream hits like Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Kick, and Raees, added that while massy films are also needed, indie films are like classical art forms – meant for the niche audience. “If you want to do it for the masses, and if you want to do it in an artistic way, then that is a different thing. If you want to do it for the masses, then you have to include certain things in it, but the pure art and classical things have never been made for the masses,” the actor said.

The actor is currently garnering applause for his turn as a vampire in Aditya Sarpotdar’s horror comedy Thamma. Starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna, the film is part of the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe, and features Nawaz as the antagonist. The film received positive reviews upon its release on Diwali, and has fared well at the box office as well, earning ₹93 crore in four days.