Bollywood producer Siddharth Roy Kapur advocates for a content-first approach, citing hits like Saiyaara and Kantara Chapter 1. He believes films can thrive without big stars, drawing parallels to Hollywood’s shift towards franchises. Kapur emphasizes creating star-independent movies to manage production costs and enhance creative freedom, arguing that audiences reward compelling stories regardless of star power.
Siddharth Roy Kapur recently opened up about ow he believes Bollywood needs to focus on content, not just stars. Citing hits like Saiyaara and Kantara Chapter 1, he stated that films can succeed without big names, and the industry should explore ways to make movies that aren’t dependent on A-list actors.
Hollywood example for star-independent success
On the Game Changers podcast, Siddharth said, “If you take Hollywood as an example, in the 1990s, the prices of Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, and Tom Hanks had reached $20 million each. What did the studios do at that time? They went to franchises and things that didn’t need stars. And they built their own IPs that are not star-dependent. I believe that’s also very important for us.”
Saiyaara proves content can succeed without stars
He cited Mohit Suri’s hit romantic drama Saiyaara, starring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, which earned over Rs 350 crore domestically earlier this year. “You didn’t need big star fees there because the film’s success didn’t depend on them,” added Kapur.Elaborating further, he shared, “Rather than getting into why stars aren’t reducing their prices… if someone’s going to pay them, they’re going to take that price. Who’s going to say no? Our focus should be on how we make films which aren’t star-dependent.”
Balancing star-driven and non-star films
“The audience is telling us that if you give us good content without stars, then we don’t need stars either. You must make films with Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, but you must make films without stars as well. Some films require stars. They’re star-driven. You need a certain heroism and superstardom to carry them. But the films that don’t need stars, don’t force stars onto them just because it’s a safety mechanism. Because your cost of production will escalate so much that your non-theatrical revenues might not add up. And you’re putting so much burden on the creation of the film that the film, which could’ve been very good without a star, actually doesn’t even turn out to be that good a film because there’s a star in it,” argued Siddharth.
