Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri recently lashed out at film award shows for using actors’ pictures while nominating directors for films. The director, in a tweet, “politely refused to be part of these unethical and anti-cinema awards”.

Agnihotri feels that often, directors and writers lose out on recognition and public adulation to stars despite putting their heart and soul into films. “These awards are not at all a basis to recognize or define my work. In fact, these awards celebrate mediocrity and incompetence. They just call different artistes to attract the audience and these awards have got nothing to do with merit,” Agnihotri says.

Continuing his point about the use of actors’ faces instead of those of directors, he adds: “If filmmakers who are institutions in themselves have to be subordinate to a star, then it’s unfair. I’m surprised why no writer and director ever objected to it.”

The Kashmir Files (2022) director is disappointed with filmmakers who he feels fail to take a stand and readily get dictated terms to. He says, “Some people are dying to go everywhere with stars. When directors themselves are ready to become slaves to stars, take public humiliation [from the latter] with a smile, then how will you have any respect?”

This is an issue that has always lingered in his mind, and Agnihotri shares, “I once read in a newspaper that Salim-Javed (screenwriters Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar) would refuse to do films if their name was not featured alongside the stars of the film. Before that, in Bollywood, the writer’s name was always absent.”

The 49-year-old says he’s also fighting on behalf of all unsung professionals and specialists in the business, from costume designers and editors to VFX artistes. “All the technical awards (at award shows) are done before the show begins, so that nobody gets to see the so-called [non-glamorous] side of the film industry. I’m fighting for all these people,” he asserts.