‘100 Crore ki picture kyun bana rahe ho?’ Nawazuddin Siddiqui slams Bollywood for backing undeserving actors

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has attributed the dwindling audience turnout in cinemas and the film industry's ongoing box office struggles to the dominance of a star-driven culture in Bollywood. He recently criticized the film sector for backing undeserving actors, asking, "100 crore ki picture kyu bana rahe ho?"

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Nawazuddin Siddiqui reportedly expressed his views on the industry's star system, saying there are two kinds of actors: those backed by the industry and those loved by the public.

He pointed out that films of "industry actors" often reach audiences by default, even if the public isn't as interested in them. In contrast, "public actors," despite being admired, like Om Puri, Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, and Naseeruddin Shah, rarely get wide releases. According to him, this lack of reach for truly talented performers remains one of the industry's biggest challenges.

The Costao actor has previously pointed out that despite the exceptional talent of actors like the late Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Naseeruddin Shah, and Om Puri, no filmmaker ever thought of backing them in films with budgets of Rs 20–30 crore.

When asked if he personally feels underappreciated as an actor, he reportedly responded without hesitation, affirming that he shares the same sentiment. According to him, it's evident from public reactions that people genuinely want to see such actors on the big screen.

While drawing a comparison between Bollywood and the South Indian film industry, Nawazuddin Siddiqui highlighted the significant gap between the two. He observed that actors in the South, whose films often earn Rs 500 to Rs 1000 crore at the box office, are genuinely talented performers.

In contrast, he pointed out that Bollywood continues to invest Rs 100–200 crore in stars who, according to him, don't match the acting calibre of their Southern counterparts. He added that despite being heavily stylized with songs, choreography, and action, almost like decorating a peacock, these Bollywood films still lack any guarantee of success.

Siddiqui further questioned the logic behind investing huge sums in Bollywood stars who fail to ensure box office success. He remarked that if even the so-called big stars can't guarantee hits, then why not make films with real actors who are skilled at their craft, even if they, too, can't offer a box office guarantee.

He praised the South Indian film industry for this very reason, pointing out that the beauty of their success lies in the fact that the lead in a Rs 500 crore film is also a true "actor."

ALSO READ: Sonam Kapoor's Aisha co-star makes real estate purchase of whopping Rs 37 crore in Mumbai; find deets