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Bollywood's Courage Crisis: Risk Aversion Hurts Stories
22 Oct
Summary
- Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani cites financial pressure driving Bollywood's risk aversion.
- Industry questions story value if huge returns are not expected.
- Older filmmakers backed stories purely on conviction, Advani recalls.
Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani has voiced concerns that Bollywood's film industry is becoming overly risk-averse. He attributes this trend not solely to content, but significantly to the immense pressure of generating substantial financial returns. This financial imperative, Advani suggests, leads to questioning whether a story is even worth telling if it doesn't promise huge profits.
Advani contrasts the current climate with that of earlier filmmakers like Yash Johar and Yash Chopra, who, despite being major producers, were known for backing stories based on their conviction. He posits that a willingness to take creative risks in areas like casting, budgeting, and narrative structure could, in turn, encourage boldness with subject matter. The filmmaker believes this interconnectedness makes it crucial for the industry to embrace risk-taking, even as the scale of productions grows larger.
