Producer Anand Pandit offers suggestions to help Bollywood course correct its path on rocky box-office trajectory

The producer recently spoke about how the industry can come together, and collectively work towards getting revenue on track. The global economy is currently facing a volatile phase, and all industries including Bollywood are bracing for impact especially in the light of the new disruptive tariffs announced by POTUS Donald Trump.

The lack of a steady stream of box office returns has led to speculation if it will ever recover lost ground. Talking about the Hindi film industry, Anand Pandit said that the industry is very resilient and has dealt with uncertain times many times in the past with success.

He shared, "We can, of course, correct and address faultlines that we can see before us right now. There is an unprecedented rise in production costs, and we must scale back unnecessary expenditures. Unrealistic star fees and entourage expenses aside, we must also focus on how we budget our productions and achieve quality with innovation rather than extravagant practices".

The producer also feels the industry needs a fresh take on storytelling, as he said, "We cannot keep doing the same thing repeatedly and expect different results. Even the biggest of stars need credible storylines today. If you look at the body of work of Hindi cinema's most iconic stars, they are remembered for films that had exceptional screenplays, music and performances. We need to go back to the era when makers had a cohesive vision, when films were not products and were made with passion and intention".

He also believes that filmmakers need to experiment more citing the example of OTT platforms. He shared, "Today, we can watch a police procedural drama, a period romance, a family comedy, a love story, or a crime thriller. There is an endless variety of themes and genres available to us".

He further mentioned, "Why would then, a film which has nothing new to offer attract audiences to the theatres? Regional films in this context are pushing the creative boundaries far more and their success rate is getting better as a result".

He also hopes the industry will invest a lot more in new actors, directors, and writers, as it will unlock unexplored creative ideas. He said that it's the perfect time to take a chance on fresh talent rather than keep betting on the tropes of the past.

The producer is happy that there is a cross-industry collaboration happening across linguistic divides, as this synergy will enrich creative perspectives and also mitigate financial risks.

"Risk sharing, especially for high-budget films, is sagacious in a volatile market and multiple stakeholders can bear a monetary loss better than a lone producer. What we should be looking at is economic sustainability rather than just persisting with outmoded production practices. that said, the Hindi film industry has immense soft power and we must never lose faith in its ability to regain its creative momentum'", he added.