Tag: Nushrratt Bharuccha

Actor Nushrratt Bharuccha, who is currently promoting Chhorii 2, got candid about the post-pandemic slump in Hindi cinema, the rise of pretense on social media, and why Bollywood needs to reclaim its audience.
In an exclusive interaction with India Today Digital, the actor offered her take on the evolving landscape of Hindi cinema. She addressed the industry’s current struggles and said, “I think like an audience because I go to theatres to watch a film like one. But there are a lot of other factors that have played a part in where we are today.”
“Do we have great content? We don’t. Do we have content like we used to a few years ago? No, we don’t. But let’s not forget—we went through a pandemic. A global event where nobody knew what to do. And I don’t mean just cinema. I mean us, as a nation. Have we even processed that trauma? Have we really come out of it?” she added.
Nushrratt further pointed out a growing disconnect between creators and consumers. “We don’t know from which film we’ll get that feeling that ‘this is it.’ We don’t know what’s going to stick. The audience is not understood right now—not by the makers, not by anyone. And it’s not that they don’t want to make good films. Everybody wants to work. But there’s no clarity on what’s actually working,” Bharuccha opined.
“We haven’t fully processed what we’ve collectively been through during the pandemic. Have we all experienced trauma? Yes. So now, maybe we want to watch only comedy, fluff, or supernatural stories that are far from reality. We don’t want to confront our truth,” she added.
Alongside this emotional upheaval, the actor noted how social media has warped perceptions of reality. Elucidating upon the same, she said, “In those two-three years of lockdown, social media exploded. But what do we see there? Just pretense. Nobody’s sitting there crying, telling you what they’re going through. Even someone who may not know where their next meal is coming from is making dance reels, makeup tutorials, and product reviews. Everyone is trying to escape their reality.”
“So how are we supposed to know what the audience wants? Should we show them realism? Should we make them laugh? Scare them? What should we do?,” she stressed.
She continued, “I feel like the industry is not able to identify what will work. Sure, you have purists who say, ‘I want to make this film because I believe in it.’ And I support that. Let’s do it. Tell me there’s no budget—fine, I’m happy to do it. But then the film also needs to be released. If it just sits in a box, what’s the point?”
The Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety actor emphasised that the lack of commercial viability is stalling creativity. “There’s an economics to it. And that’s why we’re not seeing great content. There’s no balance, no outcome. If one or two films do well, we get some hope. But then everyone starts making the same kind of film again,” she said. Source: India Today