Hyderabad: Filmmaker Kiran Rao has opened up about how some films with incredibly "regressive" messages are doing very well at the box office. She acknowledged how hurt she is by the trend. Talking about the same, Aamir Khan's ex-wife Kiran spoke candidly about the need for a filmmaker to "push the needle" in a recent interview.
One of the most well-known directors in the business filmmaker Kiran Rao has always stood out from the crowd thanks to her films' strong subject. She is returning with Laapataa Ladies after making her directorial debut in 2010 with Dhobi Ghat. The movie, which is bankrolled under Aamir Khan's production, recently had its world premiere at the esteemed Toronto International Film Festival 2023.
While having a ball in Toronto, Kiran revealed her thoughts on surviving in a society and profession that rewards mediocrity. Kiran stated, "I suppose all filmmakers set out to make good films, the intention is often great, but the market has seen a great deal of upheaval. When developing a movie, you are vying for all kinds of attention since the audience has so many more options these days. So I suppose it hurts when the messaging is really regressive and it brings in hundreds of crores because you had the chance to influence and could have done so, but you chose not to. These are the issues that occasionally annoy me."
She further added: "Having said that, every filmmaker has their own objectives and will proceed as they have planned. But it would be great if the blockbuster movies, the ones that are well-liked by the public and bring in a lot of money at the box office, were also contributing to the important work of fostering a more tolerant society, eradicating prejudice, and dismantling some of those antiquated notions."
Furthermore, she argued that while not all popular films are awful, it would be preferable to see films with better messages succeed at the box office. For the unversed, the messaging of recent films like The Kashmir Files, The Kerala Story, and Gadar 2 has drawn criticism from various quarters. Veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah and Nana Patekar also expressed similar reservations regarding such films breaking box office records.
