Few Bollywood blockbusters in 4-5 years 'worst films': Chup, Cheeni Kum director R Balki, remembers Manmohan Desai

Filmmaker R Balki, known for movies like Chup and Cheeni Kum, took a jab at Bollywood in a recent interview, saying that few blockbuster movies in the last 4 or 5 years have been the worst films. He said that the films were the worst not only from an intellectual perspective but also in terms of the entertainment and masala appeal. 

Calling the films "damn boring", Balki said during a fireside chat at Pune's MIT World Peace University: "Few blockbusters that have happened in the last 4,5 years, or whatever, have actually been the worst films. I'm just saying, not only from an intellectual or an artistic point of view but also from the old entertainment, 'masala, paisa vasool' kind of a feel. Also, they're damn boring."

Some of the Bollywood blockbusters in the last 4-5 years include Shah Rukh's Jawan and Pathaan, Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel-starrer Gadar 2, Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt's Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, Akshay Kumar-led Sooryavanshi, Ajay Devgn-led Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, and Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff-starrer War.

During the same interaction, Balki also remembered the iconic filmmaker Manmohan Desai, known for films like Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb, and Chhalia. Speaking of the iconic filmmaker, Balki said that those films had a fun element, which is missing from the blockbuster Hindi movies of today. 

“If you take a Manmohan Desai film... I remember there was a retrospective of Amit Ji. There was one on Manmohan Desai, and I was watching Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb, all these films by Manmohan Desai. There was so much fun! The fun has completely gone from our blockbusters.”

And why is this the case? He explained that filmmaking today is more like a project, adding that marketing plays a key role in shaping the audiences' perceptions. "By the time people believe it's bad, the film has made its money," the filmmaker, also known for the Amitabh Bachchan-led Paa, said. 

Besides the films' producers, Balki believes that the audience also contributes to the humongous box office numbers made by sub-par films as people sometimes don't want to believe that the film is bad and curse it. 

He added that they usually have a tendency of finding some good points about the film and will say 'time pass' if they like one or two good things about a star. "Because you will never pay 500 bucks and curse yourself. You will want to say, 'I was not that foolish. Oh, it was... it was fun. It was a little bit fun.'"