Filmmaker Vipul Shah opens up about Bollywood's box office struggles, says films are no longer made for the masses

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 21 (ANI): The start of 2025 hasn't been smooth for Bollywood. Despite big names and big budgets, several recent films have failed to impress at the box office. Even Salman Khan's much-talked-about Eid release 'Sikandar' couldn't meet expectations. As this trend continues, several voices from within the industry are speaking out.
Filmmaker Vipul Shah has now shared his views on the situation. He believes there are many reasons behind the current phase that the film industry is going through--and it's not something new.
Speaking to ANI, Shah said, "I feel there are many reasons for this, and we are going through a phase which has lasted for quite some time..."
He further pointed out that the core problem is that filmmakers have stopped making movies for the larger Indian audience.
"The first issue is that we have stopped making movies for Bharat. We make movies for a small group of people watching in 25, 50, or 100 selected multiplexes. Our expectations are that only those people should like our films," Shah said.
He went on to explain how the industry has distanced itself from the mass audience. Giving an example, he said, "A film like Jaat was well appreciated, and it performed very well in small towns, lekin use fir log uncool bol dete hain. This obsession with making so-called 'cool' films has led to many in our audience being disappointed. That is why the reach of our films is shrinking," Shah added.
Meanwhile, amidst the struggle, 'Kesari 2,' starring Akshay Kumar, seems to be a bright spot. The historical courtroom drama that released last week opened to strong reviews and earned Rs 7.84 crore nett on its first day, according to the makers. (ANI)