Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia on new-age cinema trend: ‘Unnecessary gore, demon-like looks, hyper-musculine anti-heroes’
Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia criticises the violence, hyper-muscular heroes, and demon-like characters in today’s action films during a festival held in Lucknow.
Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia has major problems with the violence, bloodshed, hyper-musculinity and rough anti-hero looks of actors in most action-packed films today. Calling out heroes wearing demon-like looks in superhit films, he is surprised that they are doing well at the box office.
“The problem with today’s films, which are being made in abundance and are being loved by the audience, is with the angry characters! These KGFs, Kantaras and all show too much violence and bloodshed. This maar-kaat started with Baahubali (2015) and is just growing,” says Tigmanshu. He adds, “Bematlab ki maar-kaat rahe hain, khoon baha rahe hain! And, in a series, such films are coming and are being liked by the audience.”
Trying to decode their appeal, he says, “Probably, there is an anger in society and people are not able to vent it out, so they are maybe connecting with these films and liking them. I don’t understand the DNA of such films, but personally, I don’t like it at all.”
The filmmaker adds, “Anti-heroes are fine, but heroes ab rakshas ki tarah lagtey hain and youngsters like it and follow the trend. With such long hair and beards, they just look like rakshas we have seen in Ramayana and Mahabharata. Pata nahi kya ho raha hai!”
{{/usCountry}}The filmmaker adds, “Anti-heroes are fine, but heroes ab rakshas ki tarah lagtey hain and youngsters like it and follow the trend. With such long hair and beards, they just look like rakshas we have seen in Ramayana and Mahabharata. Pata nahi kya ho raha hai!”
{{/usCountry}}He was in conversation with Devanshi Seth during the 'The Tigmanshu Effect' session held during the Koshala Literature Festival held in Lucknow.
{{/usCountry}}He was in conversation with Devanshi Seth during the 'The Tigmanshu Effect' session held during the Koshala Literature Festival held in Lucknow.
{{/usCountry}}On the sidelines, when asked about skipping films like Animal (2023) —which has been singled out for its violence and other factors—he says, “Yes, that is also true and I don’t agree with certain things, but overall I liked the film!”
The filmmaker clarifies that his films, too, are alpha male films but exist within a framework of morality. “Yes, my films are typically alpha male films, and I admit that I can’t make (Sanjay Leela) Bhansali-type films! But, they draw a moral line – they won’t tease a girl, and if they do wrong, it will be for a bigger cause.”
He explains, “My characters are in search of freedom, and they question the authorities. Probably, that has come from the fact that Allahabadis (people from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh) don’t fear anybody, and that is a unique character of the people of the city. Since I was a kid, I have liked action, cowboy-type films, and that reflects in my characters, be it Haasil (2003), Paan Singh Tomar (2012) and others.”
