‘Writers ki koi aukaat nahi hai': Vivek Agnihotri reveals why Bollywood is not doing well

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri criticises the Indian film industry's obsession with star kids and lack of new talent, highlighting the undervaluation of writers.

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, known for his outspoken views and hard-hitting films, has once again stirred the pot, this time calling out the lack of new talent, the star-kid obsession, and the broken economics of the Indian film industry.

Vivek Agnihotri highlights the challenges new talent faces in Bollywood, attributing it to nepotism and a lack of respect for writers. (Hindustan Times)

Vivek says no new talent introduced from outside

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Vivek said, “It is because there has been no new talent entering the film industry. A common man cannot make an entry. If Shah Rukh Khan comes today and if he can't speak English or belong to an elite background, how would he make an entry to a studio? If your criteria is to have this many followers on Instagram and then on that basis your acting will be judged, then how will a person from Kanpur, Jhansi or Vishakhapatnam? He will not be able to make an entry. So what happens is, they take kids from film families. Also, star kids want to become influencers, and influencers want to become stars.”

He pointed to the overexposure of star kids on social media — constantly showcasing what they wear, eat, drink, or how they work out — which, according to him, has robbed them of being imagined into a particular character. He also mentioned the less importance given to writers, which is leading to the quality degeneration of Hindi films.

“Writers ki koi aukaat nahi hai. Stars aur studios ne unki aukaat cheen li hai. They’ve made a nexus. Studios want numbers, and for that, they want stars, and they would do anything to get a star. The writer gets ₹10, while the star gets ₹10,000. (Writers have no worth anymore. The stars and studios have taken away their value. They've formed a nexus. Studios only care about numbers, and for that, they want stars — any kind of star. The writer gets ₹10, while the star gets ₹10,000.)”

Vivek's latest work

Vivek Agnihotri is set to expand his slate of politically charged series with his upcoming film, The Bengal Files. After the controversial yet successful The Kashmir Files, Vivek now turns his lens to the turbulent history of political violence and ideological unrest in West Bengal. Featuring a powerful ensemble cast including Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, and Darshan Kumar, The Bengal Files is poised to spark conversation and debate, much like its predecessor.