Pawan Kalyan: Bollywood chose commerce over culture, lost Indian roots

India Today

5 days ago

Telugu superstar and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan recently spoke about Bollywood films and their shift from focusing on Indian culture to prioritising commerce. In a recent interview, the actor-politician expressed discomfort with the term 'Indian Cinema', stating that he preferred referring to it as 'Bharatiya Chitraparishrama' instead.During an interview with Organiser Weekly, Pawan Kalyan pointed out that while Hindi films have evolved, many of them have strayed from their roots. 'Over time, it has changed due to filmmakers coming from different generations - especially Hindi cinema being influenced by globalisation. Since then, there have been movies where culturally oriented characters were treated with an edge of buffoonery. Someone with a Tilak Dhari would be presented in a way that was slightly on the mockery side,' he said.advertisementThe 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu' actor added that, compared to Bollywood, South Indian films have been more dedicated to representing Indian culture. Citing Aamir Khan's 'Dangal' as an example, he said, 'Nowadays, South Indian films are representing Indian culture more. It has been done in Hindi cinema for a certain period. For example, if you see 'Dangal', Aamir Khan's 'Dangal' represents Indian culture. It was rooted with Haryanvi characters, which is closely connected with our Bharateeyata. That kind of cinema has become rare these days.'
He went on to highlight the growing trend of films being made primarily for monetary reasons. 'The concept is all about money - which audience will be appeased if you make a film. I think in that aspect they lost connection with the native audience. In the South, urbanisation is less in our cities. The majority of the marketing is for the rural audience. Seventy to eighty percent of the audience is from the rural market. Therefore, knowingly or unknowingly, or strategically, there has to be a rural connect,' he explained.On the work front, Pawan Kalyan has an exciting slate lined up for release. The actor will be seen next in 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu', hitting screens on July 24. He also has 'They Call Him OG' lined up for a September 25 release this year. He is currently shooting for 'Ustaad Bhagat Singh'.Must Watch