‘100 Crore ki picture kyun bana rahe ho?’ Nawazuddin Siddiqui slams Bollywood for backing undeserving actors

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Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has pointed out that the falling number of people going to cinemas and the ongoing struggles at the box office in Bollywood are largely due to a culture that favors stars. He has also criticized the film industry for supporting actors who don’t deserve it, questioning why such large-scale films are being made. His statement translates roughly to “Why are such 100 crore films being made?

According to a conversation with Hindustan Times, Nawazuddin Siddiqui appears to have shared his thoughts about the Hollywood-like “star system” in Bollywood. He apparently distinguished actors into two categories: those who have the backing of the industry and those who are adored by the audience.

He noted that movies starring “established actors” tend to attract audiences simply because they are popular, regardless of public enthusiasm. On the other hand, respected actors such as Om Puri, Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, and Naseeruddin Shah struggle to secure wide releases. In his opinion, one of the biggest issues in the industry is the limited reach for genuinely talented performers.

Previously, the actor Costao noted that while gifted performers such as Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Naseeruddin Shah, and Om Puri possess extraordinary talent, no filmmaker has ever been willing to invest in films featuring their acting prowess with budgets ranging from 20 to 30 crore rupees.

When inquired about his feelings regarding being overlooked as an actor, he is said to have promptly agreed, expressing a similar sentiment. He believes that the enthusiasm from the public for seeing actors like him on the silver screen is undeniably clear.

Speaking about the differences between Bollywood and the Southern film industry, Nawazuddin Siddiqui pointed out a substantial disparity. He noted that actors from the South, who regularly make blockbuster films grossing anywhere from 500 to 1000 crores at the box office, are indeed gifted performers in truth.

Instead, he emphasized that while Bollywood spends approximately Rs 100-200 crore on stars whom he considers not as skilled as their Southern counterparts in acting, the films themselves are often adorned with music, choreography, and action – much like a peacock is ornamented. However, he noted that these Bollywood productions still don’t come with any assurance of success.

Siddiqui pondered over the reasoning behind pouring vast amounts into Bollywood celebrities who don’t ensure movie success. He opined that if these ‘big names’ can’t promise hits, it might be wiser to produce films featuring genuine actors with solid acting skills instead, even though they too can’t guarantee box office success.

For this particular cause, he highly commended the South Indian movie industry. He underscored that the essence of their triumph resides in the fact that the main actor in a film earning around 500 crores truly embodies the role of an “acting talent.

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2025-05-09 19:52