Rishab Shetty reflects on where is Bollywood going wrong: ‘Too much western influence, why are you trying that?’

Kantara star Rishab Setty has some advice for Bollywood filmmakers: Be closer to your roots and not get influenced western sensibilities if they want to make better cinema.
Shetty said movies should be crafted with the best interest of the audience as priority and not for one’s private consumption. In an interview with Hindustan Times, the actor-filmmaker said, “We make the film for the audience, not for ourselves. We need to keep them and their sentiments in mind. We need to see what their values and way of life are. We were there before we were filmmakers.”

 
Shetty said makers today are riding on “too much western influence”, which is reflective in the kind of movies that are being made. “But now, too much western influence and consumption of Hollywood and other content has led to filmmakers trying to do the same in India.
“But why are you trying that? People are already getting that in Hollywood, and they are doing it better in terms of quality, storytelling and performances,” Shetty added.

Kantara, which has emerged as the surprise blockbuster of the year, has clocked in Rs 54 crore in its Hindi version. It has become the second-biggest Kannada film behind KGF: Chapter 2. Its success has come in a year where Hindi films have struggled at the box office, making Kantara’s blockbuster status even more significant.
Written and directed Rishab Shetty, who has also played the lead role, Kantara depicts the power struggle between the indigenous people and the government. The film also stars Kishore, Sapthami Gowda, and Achyuth Kumar.