'Today's films lack emotions': Nani feels films like Baazigar had intensity, says now fans don't even root for heroes

While promoting his upcoming film, The Paradise, Telugu star Nani took a jibe at today's films while praising films from the 80s and 90s, particularly Baazigar.

Telugu star Nani feels that the films being made across India today lack the ‘emotional intensity’ that the cinema of the 80s and 90s had. The star, who was in Mumbai recently to promote his upcoming action thriller, The Paradise, spoke about the need to bring back that kind of commercial cinema in India.

Nani praised Shah Rukh Khan's Baazigar, while criticising the commercial films of today.

Nani says today's films lack emotional intensity

Nani spoke to the media at a press conference for The Paradise in Mumbai on Tuesday. The actor said that the film, directed by Shrikant Odela, is an attempt to restore the emotional intensity he associated with commercial films while growing up. Citing the example of Shah Rukh Khan’s 1993 hit Baazigar, he said it was a film in which he felt emotions were "intense and deep". The actor added, “Today, usually in commercial films, emotions and intensity are lacking, because the idea is to include songs and action. But in our childhood, we've seen high octane drama in commercial films; that essence is missing in today's cinema.”

Baazigar, directed by Abbas-Mustan, was one of Shah Rukh's earliest commercial successes. The film, which saw him play an anti-hero, also starred Kajol, Shilpa Shetty, Rakhee, and Dalip Tahil. It did a business of ₹15 crore against a ₹3-crore budget.

Deep Dive

Why does Nani believe today's films lack emotional intensity?

How does Nani describe the emotional engagement of audiences with heroes in modern films?

What is the significance of the film 'The Paradise' in terms of emotional storytelling?

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Nani added that the emotional intensity has diminished to the point that people no longer even root for the hero, even when he is fighting the villain. “For instance, when the hero is fighting the villain, we don't root for him; we don't feel the anger or depth of it. The Paradise brings back that intensity; we want you to feel the raw emotions,” the actor said.

All about The Paradise

The Paradise reunites Nani and director Srikanth Odela after their 2023 hit Dasara. It is produced by SLV Cinemas. Mohan Babu, Kayadu Lohar, Sonali Kulkarni and Raghav Juyal round out the cast of the film.

Days before its release, the film was granted legal relief by a Bengaluru court, which restrained the publication and circulation of any ‘defamatory’ content against it. At the press conference, Nani said the move is aimed at AI and bot-generated material. “It does not target genuine reviews,” the actor added. Recently, Yash-starrer Toxic was also granted a similar relief by a court upon its release.

Meanwhile, The Paradise is slated to arrive in theatres on September 24