Prakash Raj labels recent Bollywood films as plastic seen in 'Madame Tussauds museum': "Hindi cinema has lost its roots"

The 60-year-old filmmaker-actor further analysed what ails Hindi cinema, tracing its decline to the post-multiplex era, when it began catering primarily to urban audiences.

• Prakash Raj: Hindi cinema has lost its roots, become "fake" and superficial.
• He praises Malayalam and Tamil films for strong storytelling and social issues
• Prakash Raj will next appear in Dacoit, releasing March 19

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Actor Prakash Raj, popularly known for his work in both the Southern and Hindi film industries, recently spoke about the current trend in Bollywood films, saying that Hindi cinema has lost its roots and has become increasingly “fake.”

Speaking at the ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) on Saturday, the award-winning actor criticised Hindi films for their artificiality, saying they have become like a “Madame Tussauds museum” where everything seems beautiful with no substance.

“In the present context, I feel Malayalam and Tamil cinema are making very strong films... Hindi cinema, on the other hand, has lost its roots. Everything looks beautiful, wonderful, like plastic, as you see in the Madame Tussauds museum. We (the South) still have stories to tell, the new young directors of Tamil are talking about Dalit issues. And that gives so much of hope," said Prakash Raj, renowned for his work across Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema, in a session titled ‘The Artist I Became.’

The 60-year-old filmmaker-actor further analysed what ails Hindi cinema, tracing its decline to the post-multiplex era, when it began catering primarily to urban audiences.

Prakash Raj argued that the industry's focus on glamour and surface-level aesthetics has weakened its emotional connection with viewers.

"After multiplexes, the Bombay film industry started making films only for multiplexes. Very cute films and things like that. Because they were running well. They went into that Page 3 culture, and with that lost the touch with rural Rajasthan and Bihar," he explained.

Prakash Raj recalled that post-Independence, Hindi cinema stayed close to its secular roots. He quoted the example of Manmohan Desai’s 1977 blockbuster comedy Amar Akbar Anthony, where Amitabh Bachchan’s character Anthony Gonsalves, Rishi Kapoor’s Akbar Ilhabadi, and Vinod Khanna’s Amar Khanna cut across their religions to join forces and donate blood to save a life.

"Now, it's not like that anymore. Today, it's all about money and appearances -- reels, page 3 coverage, and loud self-promotion. In the process, I feel the industry has lost its connection with the audience,” he concluded.

Also read: Dacoit teaser: Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur's film gives off Desi Bonnie-and-Clyde vibes

The four-day literary extravaganza hosted over 400 speakers, including Nobel Laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah and Abhijit Banerjee, astronaut Sunita Williams, author Kiran Desai, essayist Pico Iyer, and Jnanpith winner Pratibha Ray.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Prakash Raj will next be seen in Dacoit, starring Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur, releasing on March 19.