Ahead of Aamir Khan’s 60th birthday on March 14, PVR INOX launched a special film festival titled Aamir Khan: Cinema Ka Jadugar to celebrate his contributions to Indian cinema.
Aamir Khan highlighted the stark difference between Bollywood and South Indian cinema, pointing out that Bollywood has lost its mass appeal by focusing too much on multiplex-friendly films.
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He said: “South films are what we used to call single-screen films — very mass, very rooted. Maybe Bollywood is focusing more on multiplex films.”
He emphasized that South films retain conviction in storytelling, unlike Bollywood, which has drifted away from fundamental emotions like anger, love, and revenge.
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Aamir strongly criticized Bollywood’s quick shift to OTT as a major reason for its box office failures.
He explained: “I ask you to come and watch my film in theaters, or after a few weeks, I myself will come to your house, and then you can watch the same film for free on OTT, since you’ve already paid for the subscription.
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It’s like selling the same product twice, which no business can do. That’s why films are failing in theaters as we have killed our own business model.”
He admitted that in the past, audiences had no option but to visit theaters, but with OTT, cinema-going has become a choice rather than a necessity.
However, their discussion highlights the urgent need for change, whether in storytelling, ticket pricing, or release strategies, if Bollywood wants to reclaim its audience.
