While big-ticket releases have shied away from theatres, it is the smaller films that have been placing their bets on cinemas. Soon after Seema Pahwa’s directorial debut Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi — featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Konkona Sen Sharma, and Vikrant Massey — hit the marquee on January 1, trade circles dubbed it a “commercial disaster”. The director is hurt that films continue to be judged by their box-office performance, especially at a time when movie halls are operating at 50 per cent capacity. Manoj Bajpayee, whose Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari hit screens post-pandemic, too questioned the practice.  

“For a film to release in current times and survive is a challenge in itself. How can box-office be the yardstick of a film’s success when theatres are functioning at half the capacity? Samay ka dosh hai, meri film ka nahin,” asserts Pahwa, whose little gem about a joint family’s interpersonal dynamics has won glowing reviews. “When people ask me why shows like Hum Log aren’t made anymore, I tell them that these days, filmmakers make commodities for profits instead of making films that give a message. There’s such an atmosphere of fear that directors and writers have to compromise on their subjects.”

The director recounts her struggle to give shape to the drama as she had to battle expectations of casting well-known stars. “I had approached a different set of producers earlier, who asked me to bring in saleable faces. But I stuck to my guns. I laud my producers [Jio Studios and Manish Mundra] for releasing the film now. They knew it’s no Sooryavanshi nor does it have a Salman Khan, but they had faith in the content. Why do we never move beyond negative talk to appreciate a film that tries to put a smile on people’s faces?”