The actor with Vishal Batra

As he gears up for the next schedule of Shershaah, Sidharth Malhotra reveals he monitored script of Vikram Batra biopic for three years before pitching it to producers
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 21, 2019)

The encouraging opening box-office numbers of Marjaavaan have reaffirmed his faith in his choice of projects. Now, Sidharth Malhotra has trained his focus on what could well be the most defining role in his career so far — Shershaah. "I am hungry to cater to a bigger audience. I feel Shershaah will have a stronger pan-India appeal than Marjaavaan. After all, it's a biopic on an Army hero who fought for the country," reasons the actor.

Malhotra, who is currently gearing up for the next schedule of the film that will bring the valour of the late Captain Vikram Batra — the Kargil martyr who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra — to the big screen, says he has been involved with the story right from its inception. "I have met Captain Batra's family multiple times. They are the ones who approached me to play the part of their son. I knew this was a story I wanted to invest in and tell. I have been working actively on the script for almost three years now. When we finally had a version of the script that we could give to Dharma Productions, they saw immense potential."

The team interestingly shot in Kargil, only days after the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir earlier this year. "We had a smooth shoot despite so much happening in the state. The Ministry of Defence and the Indian Army helped us out at every step."

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; November 12, 2019)

While most of Sidharth Malhotra’s films have had him playing a dapper dude, his next outing, Marjaavaan, sees him in a rugged avatar, full-on Bollywood style. The film, which is an out-and-out massy fare, showcases him as a larger-than-life hero, who is likely to remind the audience of the leading men from 70s, 80s and 90s. In a chat with Bombay Times, the actor spoke about playing the quintessential Bollywood hero, working with another ‘student’ Tara Sutaria, his equation with Karan Johar and more. Excerpts...

Marjaavaan is a typical masala movie, where you are doling out seeti-maar dialogues and fighting goons in filmi style. In today’s time, when films and characters are all about being real, you took this turn to play a typical hero?
It feels great to play a hero who is so powerful. Those who dream of becoming an actor, often envision themselves doing larger-than-life heroic things on the screen. In my seven-year career, this is the first time that I am playing a quintessential hero, and that’s what attracted me to this film. Through this movie, we want to present an intense, action love story, with flavours of the 70s and 80s. I was born in the mid-80s and grew up watching 90s cinema. This was my opportunity to live in that era. Milap (Zaveri, director) is convinced that there’s an audience for this kind of cinema. I think in the South, they make this kind of cinema really well and even blend in social messages and relevant issues. Here, fewer filmmakers explore this genre.

You said that you are a fan of the Hindi films of the 80s and 90s. Which actors have you drawn inspiration from?
While growing up, I had a cassette of Hum (1991) at home. I loved Amitabh Bachchan’s style. The way he would come on the screen, ruffle his hair that had a white streak, and scream ‘Bhaktaaaaawaaaaar…’ I would love it. I was a kid back then, and for a long time, I thought ‘Bhaktawar’ is an abuse. I would scream it out loud just like Bachchan saab did. My parents would laugh at that. In this film, we have drawn references from Amitabh Bachchan of that era, Sunny Deol from Ghayal (1990) and Ghatak (1996), and Sanjay Dutt from his films from the 90s.

While actors of the earlier generation were accepted in larger-than-life roles, today, actors opt to play characters that the audience can relate to. Do you think they will be able to accept you in this avatar?
Well, the senior actors have a huge body of work, but I am sure they, too, had their firsts. It is all about taking the initiative. I am in that zone, where they were some years ago. I worked hard to get that rugged look, for which I had to gain weight and grow my hair. We also worked on the character’s style, and to give him a grunge vibe, I wore a bandana and a jacket. Even though I don’t smoke in the film, you will see a matchstick in my mouth. I have taken the plunge, so now, let’s see what the audience thinks. If the audience likes me, I would like to do more of such films.

The film reunites you with your Ek Villain (2014) costar Riteish Deshmukh. This time around, too, you are pitted against each other. He plays a dwarf in the film; how did shooting for scenes with him pan out?
We have used chroma effect to do these scenes. While shooting, Riteish would stand, or sometimes sit on his knees. The latter was easier because when he stood up, I had to maintain my eye level and say my dialogues looking at him waist down (laughs!).

You started your career with Student Of The Year (2012) directed by Karan Johar, while Tara Sutaria starred in the second film of the franchise, Student Of The Year 2, directed by Punit Malhotra. How was it working with a ‘student’ from a different batch?
I met Tara for the first time at a Diwali party, which was much before we started shooting for Marjaavaan. I remember asking her whether the campus of Saint Teresa College (from Student Of The Year) has become bigger and cooler? Later on, we realised that we are neighbours. I was very excited to know that she’s a trained singer. In this film, however, she plays a girl who is speech impaired.

How is your equation with your mentor, Karan Johar, today? There were rumours of a fallout between the two of you. Is there any truth to it?
No, there’s no truth to it. I have immense respect for Karan Johar. The production house has given me everything. In fact, Shershaah is being produced by them. It’s a project that I took to them, and they really liked it. It’s exciting to work with them again. We just shot in Kargil for 50 days and are almost done with the shoot. About our equation, we all have matured and branched out, and that’s a natural progression. This will happen in the future as well because we all have to find our own path. Eventually, it is my journey. With Karan, it’s more like a friendship now. Whenever I meet him, it is like meeting a senior person from the industry.

Sidharth Malhotra says thanks to the highs and lows he faced in his career so far, he is ‘fearless and confident’ now
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 10, 2019)

It’s more than palpable in actor Sidharth Malhotra’s demeanour that he is kicked about playing a “quintessential Bollywood hero” in his next, Marjaavaan. “It’s been a great experience, something that excited me a lot,” says the actor, who has been going through a lull of sorts, in terms of his box office standing. But the Delhi boy isn’t worried as he puts things in perspective. “Nobody knows the formula for a successful, hit film,” he says, as he talks about completing seven years as an actor. He also talks about his love life, saying he only wants the audiences’ love now. Excerpts from an interview:

This year, you completed seven years in the industry. How have things been?
I won’t say I am satisfied. I am still very hungry. In my head, I feel it’s just the beginning. I am grateful for the start I got because not many get that, especially since I come from a non-film background. I think during my initial years, I was just following the trends or going wherever I was getting pushed [around] in terms of films. Now, of late, when things are getting difficult, I feel challenged and so, I am becoming more independent and following my instinct.

From the outside, it looks like you have had a roller coaster ride…
Yes, I’ve had some amazing highs and lows, which moulded me as a person and an actor. I’ve pretty much gone through all emotions in the industry. At this point, I’m not thinking about the past — be it my hit or flop films. That has made me calmer and more aware of how this industry functions. I’m more charged, focused, and hungrier for work than I ever was. From now on, the attempt is to make films for a larger audience, for the middle class film lovers who are emotional people. If I can entertain them and create a niche, that would be great for me as an actor.

Talking of Marjaavaan, it looks totally different from what you have done till now?
I’d like to keep changing the zones and [kind of films] films that I do. Every time somebody says, ‘what you are doing is different’, I feel great that I look fresh, and am not repeating myself. With Marjaavaan, I go back to the zone of Ek Villain (2014) and Brothers (2015), but in a much larger-than-life way, with lots of action and dialogue-baazi. For the first time, I play a quintessential Bollywood hero like the ones I grew up watching — be it Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol or even [Amitabh] Bachchan saab’s films. It’s for the first time that I have been presented like a hero, who is beating up 50 people for love. Now, I am looking forward to the audiences’ response.

After a great start in the industry, things didn’t seem to go your way when your last few films didn’t do well at the box office. What does that do to you as an artiste?
Honestly, I feel it was important for me to experience the highs as well as lows in my career — from being praised to partly written off. For someone like me, who is not from a film background, it gives me immense strength as I have enjoyed the highs and also overcome the lows. Now, I know how both feel. Nothing is alien to me anymore. I feel the biggest fear is the fear of the unknown. When that fear is not there, I look at things positively ke, ab kya darna hai, I have experienced everything. Now, there’s nothing unknown to me and that kind of relaxes me.

So, are you saying that failures have only emboldened you?
Yes, now, I am more fearless, confident. Also, there’s something that people like about me, which is why I am getting work. Producers are not my uncles and aunts who are putting money on me. I think the trick is to not look back. No major actor can say that all his/her films went their way. The ratio to hits and flops is off that way, and I am no different. But now, I am used to films that don’t go my way. The idea is to not let that fear dictate your present work and choices.

Your new film, Marjaavaan reminds a lot of the cinema of the ’70s-80s with heavy-duty dialogue-baazi etc. Was it interesting for you as an actor?
It was a totally new experience for me. I am a fan of that kind of cinema from the bygone era that would have larger-than-life heroes. And I certainly enjoyed this experience for the first time in my career. Our film that is a love story — despite being set in today’s day-and-age — will give you the flavour of the ’70s and ’80s. I feel that kind of cinema is actually the base of modern-day Indian cinema. Essentially, our film is an intense love story, wherein it was exciting for me to see one lover kill the other. But the big question is: how and why? And that’s why you have to see the film (smiles).

Also, till date, you haven’t had many stints with ‘massy’ movies…
In a way, Marjaavaan is an answer to that because in the film, I play to the gallery and appeal to the ‘mass’ audience. I hope that they come in [huge] numbers, like this kind of cinema and open up a completely new avenue for me. I have worked in Brothers and Ek Villain in the past too, and I feel I want to explore this zone even more, may be once a year.

By now, you have seen successes as well as failures in your career. Do you feel your highs and lows have enriched you as an actor?
You know, the other day, I was telling a friend that jab yeh light bulb invent hua tha toh Thomas Alva Edison ne kam se kam 170 times attempt kiya and he got it right the last time. When he was asked how he kept up despite being unsuccessful so many times, Edison said: ‘I learnt how not to make a bulb that many times, and figured out how to make it only on the final attempt.’ Likewise, there is no formula for hit films, but I believe in the concept of learning — in every department of filmmaking — from your failures. I have also learnt the importance of story-telling, writing, release dates, production and having a correct team etc. That’s the experience I take away from a film.

In the future, do you see yourself trying your hands at other aspects of filmmaking?
I want to produce [movies] in the future and will then use all the experiences that I have gathered from my films to — hopefully — make a smooth, correct and better product. Sometimes, you do spot certain alarming things in a film, which gives you an indication that it’s not correct, but as of now, I am only involved in my films as an actor and don’t have much control over things. But as an actor, I am still up for trying new things. So, looking forward is the only way. And the idea is to work harder, and try to entertain different people as much as possible, in different ways. That’s why I am equally excited about Shershaah as well, which is a biopic [of Kargil War hero, late Captain Vikram Batra].

You are an outsider in the industry. So, when you face setbacks, do they become difficult to handle? How do you keep your sanity intact?
I think it’s about learning from other people’s journeys. I remember going online and looking up big superstars and their big releases. I saw how Mr [Amitabh] Bachchan had biggies such as Zanjeer (1973), Deewar (1975) and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) in the ’70s but there was a lull before that and even after that. Even Shah Rukh Khan faced it towards the late ’90s. So, I feel every actor goes through such a phase, and I am no different. That gives me some kind of a semblance that I’m not the only one, who this is happening to. It has happened to the biggest of stars. Anyway, this is a highly unpredictable profession.

By now, you must have got used to the link-up tales? Or do you still get bothered?
You know, I come from a family where people are salaried, and for whom security at work is very important. I think a part of me is longing for that kind of acceptance at work and that’s consuming most of my personal time as well. I have nothing against all the beautiful women [that I am linked with], but not everything that you read is true. Right now, I’ve the platform and opportunity to create stuff and be remembered for that. Fortunately, I have the understanding also to modify my craft, scripts and stories. That’s taking most of my time and I am enjoying that part of my journey, wherein I am focusing on myself, my craft, my professional life, and my movies.

Of late, you have been linked with Tara Sutaria and Kiara Advani…
Right now, the only thing that I am longing for is audiences’ love. I have had my relationships in the past but they are part-and-parcel of our profession. I genuinely feel that at present, I am more hungry and focused than I was even when I was launched or was struggling as an actor. I am single and am only mingling with people professionally. I think of late, my personal life has taken a back seat as I am being written about only for my professional stuff. You can say that I want love from not just one girl but all my female fans and audiences in general (laughs).

Sidharth Malhotra also plans to set up his own production house
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 8, 2019)

According to Milap Zaveri, the director of your upcoming film, Marjaavaan, your character is modelled on the heroes of the ’80s and ’90s, including Amitabh Bachchan from Deewar. What are your memories of the ’75 action-drama?
Well, yes, Marjaavaan is an intense love story of today, with the flavour of those decades in its drama, dialogue, action and larger-than-life characters. I grew up watching video cassettes of films featuring Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt and Bachchan saab. I saw Deewar much later, but I recall Hum, whose climax had Bachchan saab holding the rope anchored to Anupam Kher who’s in a helicopter whirring at high speed. Also, of him hollering, “Bakhtawar”. I was around six then, and thought “Bakhtawar”, which was the name of the film’s baddie Danny sir (Denzongpa), was a gaali and I’d run around the house shouting it at my cousins. Bachchan saab’s characters from Shahenshah to Coolie, have all been iconic, with flair and style. We’ve incorporated some of that in my Raghu, from the long hair and the leather jacket to the simmering anger. Hopefully, it will bring back some retro trends.

It’s been a decade in showbiz for you…
(Cuts in) More like seven years as an actor, though it would be close to a decade if you count back to when I came to the city.

How has the journey been so far?
When I started out, it was all about early morning call time and sleepless nights, long days taking care of a 100 people in the background and lots of physical exertion. As an assistant director on My Name Is Khan, I was seeing stars like Shah Rukh (Khan) and Kajol in person and finding out that they had family lives too. It was all very new and exciting, but exhausting too. But since I was a lowly assistant, I wasn’t paid too well and had to model part-time to pay the rent. Then, I landed Student Of The Year and with the opportunity to be in the movies, the excitement doubled as did the nervousness. Karan (Johar) is a prolific director and I was debuting with a big film with lavishly-mounted sets and songs. I felt lucky and blessed, totally in awe of the camera which I was facing instead of toiling behind the scenes. My introduction, my song, my close-up, there was so much happening…

And then?
Then, there were more films which brought not just excitement but anxiety too, over whether they’d work. But having pretty much seen all the highs and lows, there’s less fear of the unknown now. I’ve understood that even mega stars go through this, and since the success-failure ratio is so uneven and unpredictable, there’s only so much an actor can do.

So, what advice would you give a new ‘student’ like Tara Sutaria, who’s paired with you in your next?
I don’t think any actor needs advice today, and someone like Tara definitely doesn’t. She’s been performing on stage since she was a child. She’s a trained singer and has dabbled in TV too. What can I tell her? Our schools, St Teresa’s, may have been the same, but our teachers were different. Punit (director Punit Malhotra) is much younger than Karan. And for a new student, Tara did a fab job.

What’s the next five-year plan?
To make films which cater to a larger pan-India audience, like Marjaavaan and SherShaah. I’d have loved to produce the latter, the biopic of Kargil martyr Vikram Batra. I worked on it for two-and-a-half years. In the next five years, along with challenging myself as an actor, I want to set up my own production company.

What kind of movies would you like to produce?
I’d like to spin a superhero franchise and act in it too. I am a big fan of the Marvel series. This is one genre that intrigues me, more so because we have so much existing material in our country’s mythology.

Many actors have moved to the digital space, with even movies premiering there. Will you make the transition too?
At the moment, it doesn’t interest me. As an actor, I want to experiment with different genres and when I’m already getting enough variety in the movies, why look elsewhere. Even the numbers on the digital platforms aren’t as big in India as compared to other countries. It’ll take a few more years for them to increase.

When Marjaavaan was first announced, many believed that it was Ek Villain 2, following Milap’s tweet, “Get ready for a new kind of villain as Riteish plays a 3.4 feet dwarf/midget.” Now, Mohit Suri is scripting a sequel to his 2014 action thriller. Excited about returning as Guru?
I don’t wish to speak about the future. Let’s stay in the present and enjoy Marjaavaan.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; August 7, 2019)

After a lean phase, Sidharth Malhotra is raring to go with three films coming up in the next one year, starting with Jabariya Jodi. The suave actor will be seen playing a character from the Hindi heartland for the first time. With colourful shirts and desi thumkas, the 34-year-old looks like a tapori, and a far cry from the city-bred gentleman we are used to seeing him as. With the release date being shifted several times, there is a possibility of the actor not being present when the film hits the theatres. Nevertheless, the Delhi boy is looking forward to the audiences’ response to the movie as it is his first attempt at essaying a Bihar-based character. Here, he tells us about the prep that went into playing the role, and the reason actors want to play characters from the hinterland. 

Lately, every other film is set in the heartland and even actors desire to play upcountry characters to connect with the audience. Do you agree with that?
I think it’s the mood of the nation. If you look historically as well in the ’90s, India was aspiring to go international. I was a student in the ’90s and we all thought chal foreign chalte hain, kuch karte hain... That’s why films of that time mostly had characters either based in a foreign land or had songs that were filmed there. In the last seven-eight years, the mood has changed and gone back to people wanting stories that are relevant to them — from their cities, colonies, galis. That is a shift even India has gone through as a nation. Any culture or art form is the reflection of what the current state of the country is. In that sense, it is a much larger thing. I am happy that writers are coming up with very good content that is based within our cities — some of them are socially relevant, like Jabariya Jodi, but with a different twist, others are inspired by real-life stories, then there are those based on certain issues, including politics. All this gives a chance for the viewers to introspect and yet be entertained. It’s a good phase that we are going through.

As an actor, how has it helped you?
As an actor, it makes it interesting to play something that is relevant to me than to essay characters that are from some other land. In my next three films, I play characters from different cities — one from Mumbai (Marjaavaan), another from up North (Shershaah), and one based in Bihar (Jabariya Jodi). It gives me a variety and the audience won’t feel bored. In my filmography, I’ve tried to play characters from different worlds. None of my characters, posters or trailers look the same. That’s always been my effort, and with this regional flavour, it becomes big and absolutely diverse. 

Was that the reason you decided to do Jabariya Jodi?
It has a lot to do with the fact that I hadn’t done a role like this. When I got the narration, I thought it will be interesting to play a character in this world, which I have never done. Also, Indian cinema has never shown this subject — pakadwa vivah that happens in Bihar. So, it was a combination of having a good concept and for me, especially, that of playing a heartland character. Because I hadn’t played such a character before, people started assuming I can’t. This is my version of a desi Patna boy. I have grown up in Delhi where I have seen this leheza and this world.

Were you aware of Pakadva Vivah concept before? 
I had heard about it socially. I didn’t know in depth how big an issue this was. It is definitely an eye-opener. As we started working on the script — I was shown articles on real-life cases. Some of the inspiration for my character has come from real life. Sanjeev K Jha, who is the writer, has been inspired by various bahubalis who get these marriages done. Some of them are in jail or in politics! That’s why my character says hamara focus bistar se jyaada kursi pe hai. I would say it is a fictitious story on real-life incidents. It’s an attempt to take a social cause and give a comic take to it, of course, through a love story.

What kind of prep did you have to do for the character?
A lot of prep definitely went into my character Abhay Singh. First of all, if I am playing a boy from Patna, I should sound like that guy. A lot of work went into getting the accent right. We consciously made the characters speak in Hindi as it’s a Hindi film. But it has a heavy accent of that region with some words in Maithili, Bhojpuri and Magadhi. Personally, I prepped for a month-and-a-half — I had a personal tutor. We even worked on the look, like, gave him hair colour, earring, and since he is Shiv ka bhakt, he has tattoos of Shiva. He is smoking chillum, which I had never done before and which we call Shiv ka prasad. Maximum amount of character building went into it and this is my favourite. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking this language and pulling off this character, which is strong yet colourful.

When you and Parineeti Chopra did Hasee Toh Phasee, both of you were relatively new, and now you are reuniting on-screen after five years. Has the equation changed? 
As you said, Pari and I worked together early in our career. There is definitely a lot of maturity in both of us in the sense of friendship and comfort, which helps in a love story like Jabariya Jodi. When you want to improvise or try something new, you are not scared of experimenting with a co-actor whom you have worked with before and are friendly with. Our director benefited from us working in the past. He could just give one input and we would try anything. Pari is coming in a new avatar with red hair. She is fitter and a 2.0 version of herself. Not so much into pizza now!

The film has been shifted so many times, what is your frame of mind now?
I am excited. It (the date change) is a distribution call taken by our producers where they felt that the previous weekend would have more releases and lesser space. Because of multiple films coming in and English movies releasing, there was a lot of crowd at the box office. Now, our film will get more space on a much larger scale with more screens. I really believe in this film. It’s a special middle-class mass love story. A new concept, in which I play a new character. But, unfortunately, I might not be there for the release, as I might be shooting for another film.

Sidharth Malhotra on his hits and misses at the box-office, living the dream of an actor, and why he is not keen on a digital debut yet
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 4, 2019)

After making his debut in 2012 with Karan Johar's Student Of The Year, Sidharth Malhotra often referred to as the chocolate boy of Bollywood, has tried to experiment with his choice of roles and scripts. While romance seems to be his forte, the actor, 33, says he likes to add layers to his characters. In a conversation with mid-day, Malhotra talks about his choices, his views on box-office failures, why he is not ready for the web and his dream role.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

It has been seven years since Student Of The Year released and you made your debut in Bollywood. You've had a few hits and misses over the years. How do you see your journey?
I had an amazing launch [with Student Of The Year], experienced the high of hits like Ek Villain (2014) and some that didn't pan out as expected, but that's what we call experience. None of the superstars that I grew up seeing have had perfect a record of hits. They have also experienced ups and downs in their career with respect to their movie choices. That is how I would describe my career as an actor as well—some films will work and some won't. In every generation, there have been only a handful of actors who have been accepted by the audience; and I am lucky that despite being an outsider, having no godfather in the industry, people have accepted me as a lead actor.

You've made some interesting adaptations to don the character of Abhay Singh in Jabariya Jodi.
Abhay Singh is the stark opposite of what I am in real life. I won't say that I have a business of 'picking up boys', I may have picked up a few girls in the past (laughs), but I was excited to do a character that is far removed from my past and personality. He is a colourful yet strong character, who wears a baali [earring], chews paan [betel] and smokes chillum. For roles like these, you cannot come unprepared on set because that will show on camera, so I put in a lot of prep work. I had a tutor train me in the language for two months. I am all about trying new things. From the styling of the character to the body language, colouring my hair and even getting used to wearing a gamcha was like adding layers to my character. I got to explore a lot playing this character.

Hypothetically, if you fell in love and circumstances were not ideal, would you kidnap or elope with her?
[Laughs] Hopefully, I will be suitable enough to get everyone's permission. Most parents like me, so I might charm my way into my future in-laws' homes and hearts. I don't think that nowadays, especially in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, with the lifestyle we lead, parents would want to go against their children's wishes. Yet, if I was born and raised in a different state, city or village, depending on how strongly I feel for the girl, I would think and react accordingly. I might fight for her.

Despite the highs and lows, you have often experimented with your choice of roles.
I have always plunged into a script from the viewpoint of the story and character, whether it's Ek Villain, Brothers (2015), Ittefaq (2017) or Jabariya Jodi. The decision was never based on whether it suits me as a hero or not. I have given a bit of myself to every character I played and often challenged myself in new situations. While some worked in my favour, a few didn't. My conscious decision has always been to do something that will encompass a much larger audience like with Jabariya Jodi. The film is a massy entertainer which caters to the issue of pakadwa vivah [groom kidnapping], the drama and also showcases a love story.

From playing Abhay Singh in JJ to Captain Vikram Batra in Sher Shah how do you flit from one character to the other with such ease?
That's what I enjoy as an actor and what drew me to the profession of filmmaking [Malhotra worked as an assistant director to Karan Johar in My Name Is Khan]. I grew up watching Shah Rukh Khan romance in the '90s, and [Amitabh] Bachchan Saab doing action in the '70s-'80s; now, I am living the dream by portraying similar characters—be it romancing in Jabariya Jodi or doing action in Marjaavaan [film with Riteish Deshmukh and Tara Sutaria]. It's exciting for someone like me to be able to don varied characters.

With Bollywood moving the digital way, have you considered experimenting with a web series?
I haven't really ventured or thought about it because there's so much I am already getting to do in films. Web shows still have a long way to go in India. It is a new phenomenon and our audience base is not as big as the west, neither are the characters or the budgets of these films. While the growth is evident, it will still take a while for showrunners to provide us with attractive characters and stories that will compel us to make the switch. Right now, I am very happy with my line-up of movies and scripts I am working on.