Rishab Shetty, who recently won a National Film Award for his 2022 film Kantara, has found himself embroiled in a controversy after comments he made during an interview with MetroSaga about Bollywood went viral online. In Kannada, Shetty was quoted as saying, "Indian films, particularly Bollywood, often portray India negatively. These so-called art films get showcased at international events and receive special attention. For me, my nation, my state, and my language are sources of pride. I believe in presenting them in a positive light to the world, and that's exactly what I strive to do."
Also read: Rishab Shetty says OTT platforms don't buy Kannada content: Forced to put our content on YouTube
Backlash from Bollywood enthusiasts
Soon after Shetty's comments surfaced online, many interpreted it as an attack on Bollywood. The criticism intensified when a Reddit post highlighted a scene from Shetty’s own film Kantara, showing him pinching co-star Sapthami Gowda’s waist. This has fueled further debate on social media platforms. A user by the handle GlindePop wrote, “I don’t agree with what he said. Films are a reflection of reality and indian films show both the good and bad sides of the country, just like how it should be.” Iamrandom17 wrote, “the content in kantara and the way women were treated in that clearly wasn’t showing india or indians in a good light”
Industry responds
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, President of the Indian Film and Television Directors' Association, views Shetty’s comments as a form of retaliation following actor Arshad Warsi’s recent criticism of actor Prabhas' character in the film Kalki 2989AD. Pandit asserts, “You have to control your language when talking about anybody. Aap kisi ke upar aise comment nahi kar sakte. Arshad shouldn't have said it, kyunki saamne se retaliation aayega. Talk about the film. Ultimately, it's a creative industry. North, South, East, West toh hai hi nahi! Unke actors hamare yahaan kaam karte hain and vice versa. Also, you are dubbing your films in Hindi and releasing them in this belt, this means you need our culture and Bollywood!”
{{/usCountry}}Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, President of the Indian Film and Television Directors' Association, views Shetty’s comments as a form of retaliation following actor Arshad Warsi’s recent criticism of actor Prabhas' character in the film Kalki 2989AD. Pandit asserts, “You have to control your language when talking about anybody. Aap kisi ke upar aise comment nahi kar sakte. Arshad shouldn't have said it, kyunki saamne se retaliation aayega. Talk about the film. Ultimately, it's a creative industry. North, South, East, West toh hai hi nahi! Unke actors hamare yahaan kaam karte hain and vice versa. Also, you are dubbing your films in Hindi and releasing them in this belt, this means you need our culture and Bollywood!”
{{/usCountry}}Director Hansal Mehta, known for internationally acclaimed films like Shahid (2012), considers Shetty’s remarks a sweeping generalisation. Mehta suggests, “Though I wonder what the context is. Often statements are quoted out of context leading to controversy. I’m sure he meant no disrespect.”
Actor Chunky Panday, who has appeared in Telugu films such as Saaho, believes that Hindi films play a crucial role in maintaining cultural ties for NRIs. He comments, “Not at all. I travel so often abroad. I met so many different NRI families, who are grateful to Bollywood for letting their children remain in touch with their culture. Other Indian films as well. If someone has said such a statement, they must be having their reasons. Cinema doesn't have a language.”
Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar dismisses the notion of a North versus South conflict. He explains, “I don't think anybody is doing this deliberately. It all depends on the director and writer of any film, what they are putting out." He further says, "If at all people have an objection to Indian films showing India, and feel they are carrying it on their shoulders saying 'we are the only ones doing it', tend to be ridiculed a bit all over the world. They take themselves too seriously. We have had films like Laapataa Ladies, which was such a mature film. We have always been comparing our films with their (South) sensibilities, which have always been very different.”
Actor Adil Hussain, who has appeared in international projects like Star Trek and Life of Pi, responds by suggesting that Shetty’s criticism should differentiate between Bollywood and arthouse films. Hussain states, “He should have differentiated between Bollywood films and arthouse Hindi language films which he is saying are generally given the red carpet at film festivals. Most Bollywood films are lost in the glitter of the 5-10 percent upper middle class and upper class families. If he means bad light by showing poverty, not all arthouse films do that. India is not shown in a bad light, it's the largest chunk of Indian reality. It's telling the truth, not to put our country in a bad light.”
Meanwhile, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who is a prominent figure in Hollywood, takes a more neutral approach. “This is an ongoing argument and will never end. Ultimately every film maker must do what his heart says,” he ends.