Hansal Mehta Questions Movie Promotion Events, Asks 'Do They Make Films Better?'

News18

16 hours ago

Last Updated:
Hansal Mehta criticised the repetitive nature of film and series promotions, questioning their effectiveness and whether they truly engage audiences.
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta is known for sharing his brutally honest take on the Hindi film industry and life in general. He recently expressed his candid thoughts on the current state of film and series promotions on X (formerly Twitter). He criticised the formulaic nature of marketing campaigns and questioned whether it contributes to success.
In a long post on X, Hansal Mehta asked whether these standard strategies truly engage audiences or merely create an illusion of success. Without naming any specific film or artist, he highlighted how promotional activities have become rigid templates — the same actors appearing on the same podcasts, answering the same questions, and making identical appearances across cities and events.
On Friday, the veteran filmmaker wrote on X, 'Do these generic, template promotions for films and series actually work? Do they make people watch? Do they make the film/series any better? Or do they simply sustain an ecosystem built on illusion—PR agencies, costume designers, event planners, influencers, sponsors, red carpets, press conferences, paid 'reviews', social media fluff. It all looks like success."
He continued, 'It feels like popularity. But is it? Shouldn't a good trailer stir curiosity? Shouldn't compelling promo units and—most importantly—a good film or series be enough? Instead, we're stuck watching the same actors answer the same 10 questions on the same podcasts in the same studios, flying from one city to another, chasing a perception."
Mehta, who has never shied away from expressing his views, concluded his post with a thought-provoking question: 'This isn't a rant—it's a question: What's the best way to promote a story today without becoming part of a machinery that serves neither the art nor the artist?" Take a look:
Do these generic, template promotions for films and series actually work?Do they make people watch? Do they make the film/series any better? Or do they simply sustain an ecosystem built on illusion—PR agencies, costume designers, event planners, influencers, sponsors, red…— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) July 4, 2025
Though he didn't name any filmmaker or specific film promotion, his remarks come amid the aggressive campaigns for Metro… In Dino, and other films.
Hansal Mehta is renowned for acclaimed works such as Shahid, Faraaz, Chhalaang, the hit series Scam 1992, and recently-released The Buckingham Murders starring Kareena Kapoor Khan. He began his career in 1993 with Zee TV's cookery show Khana Khazana, which also launched celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor's television journey.
First Published: