Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt believes that the recent box-office failures of Bollywood films stem from the industry’s shift away from massy movies.

“Everyone forgot the masses and went to niche films. And, during Covid, the audience’s habit of watching films in theatres vanished. We stopped making massy films. The South industry is flourishing because it always prioritizes the mass audience. They still want to see superheroes...Pushpa, Kantara (2022). They still consider the villain a villain, still whistle and clap. We forgot how to make films that would make the audience whistle and clap,” the filmmaker, known for movies such as Ghulam (1998) and Raaz (2002), told ANI.

The 56-year-old also emphasized the need for filmmakers to create a sense of “urgency” in their movies: “I learned this recently when my film Tumko Meri Kasam did not work. It received good reviews, but didn’t work because it missed the sense of urgency. We will have to make films that people eagerly wait for to watch first day, first show.”

Vikram further said that filmmakers should prioritize “content” over the “star cast”. “This whole problem can be solved if music companies, digital and satellite companies start giving this message that we need good songs and good stories. If you support a good movie, not a star cast, the producer will not be burdened,” he said.