Anubhav Sinha on South vs Bollywood debate: If audiences want meaningful content, why did RRR work and not Anek?

Anubhav Sinha also took a dig at the exhibitors and called them 'ignorant.'

RRR, Anek.

After the release and debacle of his film Anek, Anubhav Sinha has finally spoken to the media about his movie and the current trend in Bollywood. The filmmaker spoke about the unpopular South vs Bollywood debate. He pointed out how and why an RRR or a Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 worked as opposed to his film, Anek.

The filmmaker was talking to ETimes when he was asked about the debate. The whole debate began when the viewers claimed that South Indian movies have more content than Bollywood films. However, Anubhav Sinha deciphers that it is the commercial potboiler that the audience is looking to because otherwise, his latest release Anek would have worked at the Box Office.

Even though South Indian movies have more original content as compared to Bollywood in today’s times, even a sequel, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, broke the dry spell in Bollywood. Seeing the trend, Anubhav shared that the audiences, who sat at home for two years and consumed International content, want to see ‘good stuff’ but go and watch traditional Bollywood potpourri material. “Then, I felt what, why didn’t they go and watch Anek?,” Anubhav questioned.

When asked if Bollywood caters to a niche audience rather than a mass audience, Anubhav answered in a non-affirmative. He recalled about the industry not having a fixed pattern and how while he was disappointed about his film not performing, the exhibitors expected that to happen. He then spoke about Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 making and breaking records, just like RRR and KGF: 2.

Calling the exhibitors ‘ignorant,’ Anubhav said that because the viewers claim that South Indian films are better, even if they ‘are no better’ (in his words). “They feel that since three South Indian films worked, Indians want to only watch that kind of content,” he shared. The director-producer added that the people want to see that kind of action and styling.

“When we fail to understand something, we create a false envelope, gave it a name and dump all our ignorance inside that envelope. Right now, the exhibitors, producers, studios, corporates, finance sectors of the industry are groping,” he said.

Anubhav also shared, “I don’t have the answer but soon enough, after six-eight successes, we’ll see a pattern. The most obvious pattern right now is that they will go for entertaining films over intense movies.”

However, the filmmaker feels it is too early to predict and the sample size is too small. 2022 has seen the highest grossing Bollywood films in KGF: Chapter 2 (Hindi), RRR (Hindi), The Kashmir Files, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Gangubai Kathiawadi.

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