Nandita Das reflects on box office pressure; says, ‘Economics is interfering so much with art’

Nandita Das

Actor-filmmaker Nandita Das is known for her unflinching commitment to meaningful cinema. She believes the film industry’s increasing obsession with box-office numbers has come at a cost to creativity. Speaking o Hindustan Times, the Zwigato director reflected on her three-decade-long journey and the growing dominance of economics over art.

“Economics is interfering so much with art these days,” she said. “People say ke acha yeh film box mein kaisa tha aur woh kaisa tha (how did this film fare at the box office and how did the other one work). For any form of art, time is the only true judge.”

Nandita admitted she has consciously stayed away from the race for commercial success. “If you want it and you are resisting, then it's challenging… But it doesn’t tempt me,” she shared.

Nandita last directed Zwigato in 2023. The film starred Kapil Sharma. She said she feels “privileged” to have been able to stay true to her creative choices. “I feel very privileged that I'm able to at least do what I really like doing despite how difficult it is — especially in an industry where people have the whole PR machinery and get work based on their Instagram followers,” she explained.

While acknowledging that she has lost several roles because of her choices, Nandita said she values her integrity more than fame. “You pay the price some way or the other. But would you rather make the choice that you want to or live that life … I think that is a great privilege. The freedom to say no is a greater freedom. Aapko sab kuch toh nahin mil sakta, meri woh lifestyle nahi hai. But I may not have been the same person as I am today. I have no regrets,” she added.

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Nandita Das made her acting debut in the late 1990s. She has been part of several acclaimed films such as Fire (1996), Earth (1998), Bawandar (2000), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), and Before the Rains (2007). Up next, Nandita is preparing for what she calls her “most personal project”. The film explores relationships, marriage, separation, and motherhood and Nandita is trying to raise funds a little differently through private investors.