‘Even Reviews Are Bought': Nikkhil Advani Gets Candid After Stolen Debuts Online
According to Nikkhil, the main reason behind the distrust is that everything is bought; even reviews are also paid.
Abhishek Banerjee-starrer investigative crime thriller Stolen has now finally premiered on Prime Video. Karan Tejpal made his directorial debut in this film, which is backed by four renowned filmmakers who served as executive producers. Anurag Kashyap, Nikkhil Advani, Kiran Rao, and Vikramaditya Motwane came together to lend their expertise to the film. Stolen revolves around two urban brothers who witness the kidnapping of a baby and decide to help the mother by joining a perilous investigation to search for the baby.
Ahead of the release, filmmaker Nikkhil Advani appeared in an interview with the Hindustan Times as he talked about the film and the current state of the film industry in general. Talking about being associated with the film, Nikkhil stated that although Stolen is a small independent film, it does not need big names to back it. 'Who are we? We are just putting our muscle or credibility behind this film," he explained while asserting that nowadays there has been a growing distrust between the audience and the filmmaker. Talking about this lasting distrust, Nikkhil explained the main reason behind this situation is that everything is bought; even reviews are also paid. 'Audiences today, thanks to social media, have got so much information," said the filmmaker.
Nikkhil, who is known for widely popular films like Kal Ho Naa Ho, Batla House, and D-Day, among others, went on to talk about the difference between commercial and independent cinema. According to the filmmaker, this distinction has existed in the Indian film industry for decades, and nowadays the choices are becoming smaller, whereas the huge demand to conform to the formula is only getting higher. He further explained that when a filmmaker wants to do something out of the ordinary, he has to make it marketable either with the cast, director, or producer. However, Nikkhil is hopeful this notion will turn and a good-quality film will find its audience.
Additionally, while reflecting on the fact that Bollywood is currently facing a decline in revenue in the aftermath of COVID-19, Nikkhil noted that audiences are nowadays more inclined towards spending money on live shows and stand-up comedies and argued that with the help of good-quality films, audiences need to be won back.
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