Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently voiced his concerns about the direction modern Indian cinema is taking. Anurag and filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma came together to share some of their initial days and struggles in the industry.

In a conversation with India TV, Anurag and Ram did not hold back while reacting to the trend of recent films copying the same theme in an attempt to succeed at the box office.

Anurag about the impact Sairat

Reflecting on the 2016 Marathi blockbuster 'Sairat', Anurag Kashyap said he had expected the film to inspire a wave of grounded storytelling. Instead, he noted, it sparked a shift towards formula-driven filmmaking.
“What has happened since KGF , Salaar is that you wonder, why does the DI of all the films look the same? In Animal (2023), the gore and violence worked. Hence, filmmakers are now including more and more gore in their films—sometimes without reason! That for me is a scary part because then people start chasing a wrong goal post, " Kashyap remarked.

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Ram Gopal Varma about big budget movies

He further observed that many directors seem to lack the ambition to craft a true cinematic experience, instead clinging to formulas derived from isolated decisions.

In the same conversation, Ram Gopal Varma drew from his own experiences. “I never consciously thought of making Satya (1998) on a low budget. I spent what was required, and that created authenticity and realism. If I had spent Rs. 5 crores more, Satya’s quality would have been five times worse!” he said.

Varma went on to critique the industry's shift post-Baahubali, where, according to him, the increased focus on high budgets and special effects has come at the expense of genuine storytelling. He believes that making big-budget films is now the trend, and that emotional values are lacking in today’s cinema.