Bollywood Actor Shahid Kapoor has said that Bollywood is not producing enough strong films and believes excessive, manufactured marketing is diluting the purity of cinema.
The actor, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film ‘O Romeo’, made the comments during a recent podcast conversation with Prakhar Gupta on the latter’s YouTube channel. While promoting the film, Shahid spoke candidly about his discomfort with artificial publicity strategies and the growing gap between creative authenticity and commercial promotion.
Shahid said that an artist’s desire for a genuine response from audiences often clashes with over-engineered marketing campaigns. He explained that he has never fully subscribed to artificial public relations cycles, adding that while promotion is necessary, it must have limits.
“People may not realise it, but it is a miracle that a room full of strangers applauds you, celebrates you and gives you a status above their own,” he said. “That purity is what makes art special. Once that purity is disturbed by something manufactured, it stops feeling the same.”
The actor also reflected on changing audience behaviour and shorter attention spans in the age of constant digital stimulation. According to Shahid, both audiences and creators are being affected by the same cycle.
“The candle is burning at both ends,” he said. “Audiences are losing patience and struggling to focus because they are used to constant stimulation and dopamine hits. At the same time, creators are going through the same thing, which affects their ability to concentrate and create. It is not just that audiences do not want to watch films. We are also not making as many good films as we should. It works both ways.”
O Romeo, Shahid Kapoor’s upcoming action thriller, is written and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala under the banner of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment. The film is based on Hussain Zaidi’s book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ and features an ensemble cast including Triptii Dimri, Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwary, Tamannaah Bhatia, Disha Patani, Farida Jalal and Vikrant Massey.
The film is scheduled for theatrical release on February 13.
