Kantara’s Rishab Shetty Fires Shots at Bollywood Post National Award Win; Adil Hussain, Hansal Mehta, Shekhar Kapur Weigh In

Arrey bhai log, welcome back to another spicy, masaledaar update from the world of Bollywood! This is your favorite gossip girl, Khabree Kiran, here to spill the chai! 🫖 Grab your popcorn, kyunki aaj ka drama is too good to miss!

Rishab Shetty’s Bollywood Bombshell!

Hai re, Rishab Shetty! Looks like our man from Kannada cinema, fresh off his National Film Award win for Kantara, decided to take a full-on jibe at Bollywood. 🏆 In an interview with MetroSaga, he claimed that Bollywood often showcases India in a negative light. “Indian films, especially Bollywood, often portray India negatively,” he said. “These so-called art films get showcased at international events and receive special attention. For me, my nation, my state, and my language are sources of pride. I believe in presenting them in a positive light to the world, and that’s exactly what I strive to do.”

Abey, kya bol diya Rishab bhai! 🤦‍♀️

Actor Rishab Shetty’s comment on Bollywood hasn’t gone down well with social media users.

Backlash from Bollywood Enthusiasts

And of course, Bollywood fans couldn’t keep calm after these comments. Reddit, Twitter, and Instagram – sab jagah charcha! One Reddit user, GlindePop, passionately disagreed, “Films are a reflection of reality and Indian films show both the good and bad sides of the country, just like how it should be.” Another user, Iamrandom17, pointed out the irony, “The content in Kantara and the way women were treated in that clearly wasn’t showing India or Indians in a good light.” Ouch! That’s gotta hurt! 😬

Industry Reacts Like a True Bollywood Drama

Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit got in the mix, seeing Shetty’s comments as retaliation to Arshad Warsi’s recent criticism of Prabhas’ character in Kalki 2989AD. Pandit said, “You have to control your language when talking about anybody. Aap kisi ke upar aise comment nahi kar sakte. Arshad shouldn’t have said it, kyunki saamne se retaliation aayega. Talk about the film. Ultimately, it’s a creative industry. North, South, East, West toh hai hi nahi! Unke actors hamare yahaan kaam karte hain and vice versa. Also, you are dubbing your films in Hindi and releasing them in this belt, this means you need our culture and Bollywood!”

Hansal Mehta chimed in, calling Shetty’s remarks a sweeping generalization. “Though I wonder what the context is. Often statements are quoted out of context leading to controversy. I’m sure he meant no disrespect.” Well, Hansal, context or no context, Bollywood is on fire! 🔥

Chunky Panday had his two cents, emphasizing the role of Hindi films in maintaining cultural ties for NRIs. “Not at all. I travel so often abroad. I met so many different NRI families, who are grateful to Bollywood for letting their children remain in touch with their culture. Other Indian films as well. If someone has said such a statement, they must be having their reasons. Cinema doesn’t have a language.”

Prahlad Kakkar dismissed the notion of a North versus South conflict. “I don’t think anybody is doing this deliberately. It all depends on the director and writer of any film, what they are putting out." He further added, "If at all people have an objection to Indian films showing India, and feel they are carrying it on their shoulders saying ‘we are the only ones doing it’, tend to be ridiculed a bit all over the world. They take themselves too seriously. We have had films like Laapataa Ladies, which was such a mature film. We have always been comparing our films with their (South) sensibilities, which have always been very different.”

Arthouse vs. Bollywood: A Never-Ending Debate

Adil Hussain added another layer to the conversation, suggesting that Shetty’s criticism should differentiate between Bollywood and arthouse films. “He should have differentiated between Bollywood films and arthouse Hindi language films which he is saying are generally given the red carpet at film festivals. Most Bollywood films are lost in the glitter of the 5-10 percent upper middle class and upper-class families. If he means bad light by showing poverty, not all arthouse films do that. India is not shown in a bad light, it’s the largest chunk of Indian reality. It’s telling the truth, not to put our country in a bad light.”

Meanwhile, Shekhar Kapur, taking a diplomatic stand, said, “This is an ongoing argument and will never end. Ultimately every film maker must do what his heart says.”

Kiran’s Gyan:

Arre Bollywood walon, yeh North-South ki ladai kab khatam hogi? Itni drama toh daily soaps mein bhi nahi hoti! Remember, at the end of the day, it’s all about storytelling. Whether it’s a masala Bollywood flick or a gritty arthouse film, sab kaam entertainment ke liye hi toh hai! So, chill maro and let the audience enjoy the show! 🎬

Till next time, yeh Khabree Kiran signing off! Stay tuned for more Bollywood gossip, kyunki picture abhi baaki hai mere dost! ✌️