Emraan Hashmi admits Bollywood has been 'soft target', reacts to downfall of Hindi cinema: 'We have seen worst of films in..' | Exclusive

Every year, when a few Hindi films don't work, netizens, gossipmongers, and haters start writing obituaries on Bollywood. However, the dull phases are not new in the history of cinema, and Emraan Hashmi emphasises how Bollywood has been the soft target for criticism. Emraan joins DNA India to promote his upcoming film Ground Zero, and when we ask his take on Bollywood being targeted for its dull phase, he says, "It (Bollywood) has been the industry that has been the soft target, and it's always open for criticism. It's always been the point of discussion. But it's cyclical. This has happened back in the 80s also, when VHS happened, and the boom of the South industry."  

The Murder actor further explains that the 80s were considered as worst times for the film industry. "It was said that the worst times for the industry were the 80s. The worst films were made back then. I think it was the 80s or 90s, and we thought it was the end of Bollywood," Emraan said. Sharing perception people had during the VHS boom (in the 1980s), he adds, "People used to think 'who'll go theatres, when you have VHS, VCR in your home. But at the end of the day, it's communal viewing. There's a different experience when you sit in a theatre and the audience reacts. You don't get to see that at homes." 

Emraan do think that Bollywood needs a reset, and points out the areas for correction. "I think what we need to do is just have a complete restructuring. Ideations of films, it's economies, and distribution. The entire thing needs to be reset." Highlighting the high ticketing price, Hashmi further says, "It's so unapproachable. If you take a family to watch a film, you end up spending 1000s of rupees, and the common man doesn't have that kind of money to do it every weekend. He might step out during Diwali or Eid, or any other festive season. That's why films work during such a weekend. But when you have films in Rs 99, it's sold out. So India is a price-sensitive market, and we have to understand that." Ground Zero will release in cinemas on April 25.

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