Pankaj Tripathi urges Bollywood to stay rooted for stronger Hindi story relatability

Actor Pankaj Tripathi has called on Bollywood to embrace stories rooted in the Hindi heartland to enhance relatability and audience engagement.

He emphasized, "Ye Hindi cinema hai, to Hindi heartland se thodi rooted cinema bane," highlighting the blockbuster success of Stree as a prime example. The film's blend of mythology, humor, and local narratives resonated widely, leading to sequels and top return on investment.

Tripathi agreed with filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's critique that mainstream Hindi cinema has drifted from its cultural roots, stating, "Main bhi sehmat hoon ki Hindi kahaniyan roots se bhatki hui thi. Rooted rahenge to unki relatability badhegi."

He also acknowledged the growing influence of OTT platforms, noting their role in delivering relatable content to audiences in their own time and space. "OTT ek platform aaya hai jiski kaafi growth ho rahi hai. Ye apna cinema hai, aap apne time se apne space pe dekhiye," he said.

Tripathi further pointed out the importance of marketing and audience awareness in today's film landscape: "Marketing bada factor hai. Aaj ki audience bohot aware hai, wo trailer se bhaanp leti hain."

His comments underscore a call for Bollywood to reconnect with its cultural roots to create stories that resonate deeply with viewers, leveraging both traditional cinema and emerging digital platforms.

Actor Pankaj Tripathi urges Bollywood to focus on rooted Hindi heartland stories for stronger audience connection, citing the success of 'Stree' as proof. He agrees with Anurag Kashyap's critique of mainstream cinema drifting from cultural roots and highlights the rise of OTT platforms as new storytelling avenues.