‘The Kashmir Files' Producer-Actress Pallavi Joshi On Why Bollywood Films Aren't Working: India's Problems Don't Feature In Them Anymore

Actress-producer Pallavi Joshi’s film ‘The Kashmir Files' turned out to be one of highest-grossing Hindi films of the year, despite featuring no A-list actors. Made on a budget of Rs 15 crore, the film grossed over Rs 350 crore worldwide. Directed by Pallavi’s husband Vivek Agnihotri, the film revolves around the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley over 30 years ago. 

On the other hand, much bigger films under bigger banners failed to impress the audience and crash-landed at the box office. Those include the likes of Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Shamshera’, Aamir Khan’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, and Akshay Kumar’s ‘Samrat Prithviraj’. Now, Pallavi, in a chat with Hindustan Times, talked about what Bollywood is lacking and why films are tanking at the box-office. 

“I am not an expert in Bollywood so I don’t know what went wrong with Shamshera or Dobaaraa and other films. But I can certainly tell you what worked in favour of our film. I have always believed that the audience realises the intent with which you put across your subject or performance. In theatre, there were days when I lost focus and wouldn’t get the same reaction from the audience. And those were the most miserable days. And the same applies to films as well. Through the screen too, people realise your honesty,” she said. 

The actress, who has been in the industry for a long time, said that the box-office failure of Bollywood films is also due to the disconnect they have with the audience. 

“As an artist, the training is to show a mirror to society. So, even if you are a little anti-establishment, that’s ok. If you see the films of Raj Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Sunil Dutt, they mirrored whatever was happening around in the society. The films were based around the problems India was facing at that time. Somehow, the problems of India do not feature in our films anymore. Hence, there is that disconnect,” she signed off. 

‘The Kashmir Files’, apart from Pallavi, also starred Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, and Darshan Kumar.