Why Bollywood Cannot Make Mirai, Lokah or Kantara?

Bollywood trade analysts and critics have recently expressed their views about the changing state of Hindi cinema. He explained why Bollywood struggles to deliver the rooted, high-content spectacles that South cinema continues to create.

One such critic Sumit Kadel, cited films like Lokah, Mirai, Hanuman, Kantara and Minnal Murali. Despite being made on comparatively smaller budgets, these films succeed because of two major factors Bollywood often neglects: resource allocation and authentic storytelling.

According to experts, production costs are the biggest concern. In many big Hindi films, out of Rs. 200–300 crore budget, almost 50–70% goes to actors and directors. This leaves very little for VFX, visuals and execution.

As a result, even with massive investments, the on-screen product often feels compromised. They believe the second and deeper problem is writing. Many contemporary Bollywood writers are disconnected from Hindi, cultural traditions and heartland roots.

Instead, these writers sit in Mumbai cafés and draw from Western cinema, producing copies that fail to connect with Indian audiences. Trade analysts observed that South filmmakers remain rooted in their soil, language and faith, which makes their stories resonate.

Many experts also contrasted this with Bollywood’s English-speaking sets and superficial scripts. The solution lies in empowering small-town writers and ensuring cultural grounding. Without this, Hindi cinema risks losing both audience trust and relevance, despite its towering budgets.