Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri believes the struggling Hindi film industry needs a push — not just from the inside, but with help from the government. In a recent open letter to Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, he asked for immediate support to save cinema halls and the old-school theatre experience.
Agnihotri, known for films like ‘The Kashmir Files’, said the issues are big and no one person can fix them. He pointed to big shifts in technology, changing viewer habits, and lack of innovation.
He praised Goyal’s recent comments on promoting creativity and startups. Agnihotri said all it takes is some guidance and a ‘pat on the shoulder’ for the industry to bounce back.
Other countries like France, South Korea, and the UK back their film industries in a serious way. From film commissions to big government funding, they treat cinema as both art and global soft power.
One big problem in Hindi cinema, Agnihotri said, is ‘windowing’ — the time gap between a movie’s theatre release and its arrival on OTT. He argued this gap is too short in India, making people skip theatres.
Ticket pricing is another major issue. In South India, theatres keep prices low, and crowds still pour in. Agnihotri said cinema should be the cheapest entertainment in India, not a luxury.
He also highlighted the fading number of Indian film producers and studios. Many have switched to real estate, as making films no longer makes sense in the current industry climate.