Veteran actor Annu Kapoor has commented on the controversy surrounding political narratives in films, responding to allegations that the facts and timelines in Dhurandar have been distorted to suit a particular ideology.In his conversation with Siddharth Kannan, the veteran actor explained that propaganda in cinema is not new and has been around for decades.“As far as I know, the film has grossed around Rs 800-900 crore. So what is the problem? Others can also make such films,” he said, adding: “The hype has always been there. This is nothing new.”
“This is democracy, the majority decides.”
Citing earlier examples, Annu Kapoor pointed to old films like Kisa Kursi Ka, which faced ban, to underscore how cinema and politics have long intersected.“This is democracy. Fluctuations and distortions have always existed and will always exist. If the majority supports something, that’s how the country works,” he said.Using a closely related analogy, Kapoor added that just as podcasts become popular because more people watch them, films also thrive on audience support. He wondered, “Why cry about that? Winning and losing is part of life.”
He watches
Anurag Kashyap reacts to Dhurandhar’s success, leaves a vague political warning
About changing power dynamics
The actor also addressed the ongoing conversation about the changing power dynamics in the film industry, especially the rise of outsiders.
Dismissing the idea that this is a recent shift, Kapoor said, “This has always happened. Earlier, we did not see it because the media was not strong.”He went on to list some of the biggest legends of Indian cinema, emphasizing that many of them came from outside the industry: Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Dharmendra,
Rajesh Khanna
Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, and
Shah Rukh Khan
.“They were all strangers. They didn’t have godparents. They did it themselves,” he said.
“Nepotism does not guarantee success.”
Addressing the nepotism controversy, Kapoor said that while industry insiders may support their children, success ultimately depends on the audience.“The father will support his child, and that is normal,” he explained. “But if nepotism alone works, every star child will be a star. This is not the reality.”According to Kapoor, social media has amplified these conversations, making industry dynamics clearer than before.He concluded by saying: “Today, everything is on the scene thanks to social media. But the truth is that the system has not changed as much as people think.”
