Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra has criticised the film industry for spreading falsehoods through dishonest marketing and manipulated box office statistics. In a recent interview, he exposed how producers buy tickets to their own films to inflate figures and said he avoids industry events to maintain his integrity. He also refused to misrepresent the performance of his latest film, Zero Se Restart.
The feature-length behind-the-scenes film on last year’s 12th Fail failed to draw audiences, a fact Chopra openly admitted in an interview with Dainik Bhaskar. He said, “Marketing today is full of lies. Influencers are paid to promote fake narratives. When theatres are empty, producers buy their own tickets and spread false box office numbers. I’m being honest—my film released yesterday, and very few people showed up. No one else will admit their film didn’t have a good opening.”
Chopra shared that he spoke with his daughter, a Stanford University student, about the film’s performance. “I called her this morning and said, ‘Nobody came to watch my film.’ She asked if I wanted sympathy or inspiration. I told her I wanted her to be inspired,” he said. He further explained that honesty is a rare quality in the industry today, and he takes pride in maintaining transparency even when it is difficult.
{{/usCountry}}Chopra shared that he spoke with his daughter, a Stanford University student, about the film’s performance. “I called her this morning and said, ‘Nobody came to watch my film.’ She asked if I wanted sympathy or inspiration. I told her I wanted her to be inspired,” he said. He further explained that honesty is a rare quality in the industry today, and he takes pride in maintaining transparency even when it is difficult.
{{/usCountry}}He stressed that word-of-mouth is the only reliable measure of success and reaffirmed his decision to distance himself from industry negativity. “I rarely attend events or even award ceremonies. I want to protect myself from the toxicity. We are born pure, but over time, we become corrupted. I’m trying to avoid that,” he said.
Chopra also reflected on his journey in the film industry, stating that his work has always been driven by passion rather than commercial gain. “I have seen successes and failures, but my goal has never been to chase numbers. Instead, I focus on making meaningful cinema that resonates with audiences,” he added. This philosophy, he believes, allows him to remain grounded and focused on his craft.