- R. Balki voiced strong opinions about recent Bollywood films.
- Balki criticized the success of many recent box office hits.
- He attributed these films’ success to aggressive marketing strategies.
Renowned filmmaker R. Balki, known for acclaimed films like Pad Man, Paa, and Cheeni Kum, has voiced strong opinions about the state of recent Bollywood films. Speaking at an event at MIT World Peace University in Pune, Balki criticized the success of many recent box office hits, calling them the “worst films” of the past few years.
“I’m just saying, not only from an intellectual or an artistic point of view but also from the old entertainment, ‘masala, paisa vasool’ kind of a feel. Also, they’re damn boring,” he remarked.
Drawing comparisons with the classic films of Manmohan Desai, Balki highlighted the enduring appeal of movies like Amar Akbar Anthony and Naseeb, which, he noted, were “fun to watch.” He lamented that the charm and entertainment value of those classics have been lost in today’s blockbusters.
Balki attributed the success of these films to aggressive marketing strategies rather than quality. “It is the marketing that drives people into the theaters to believe something is good which actually is not. By the time people believe it’s bad, the film has made its money,” he explained.
He also touched on audience psychology, stating, “Sometimes people don’t want to believe that a film is bad after watching it… You will want to say, ‘I was not that foolish. Oh, it was… it was fun.’”
Balki’s last directorial venture was Ghoomer (2023), starring Abhishek Bachchan and Saiyami Kher.
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