Pankaj Tripathi commented on the state of flux that the film industry is in, with the changing tastes of the audience, the emergence of boycott campaigns and the rise of streaming services. He also called for writers to be given more respect and more money in a chat with a popular radio channel.
Asked about the success of films like 'KGF: Chapter 2'; the boycott campaigns that surrounded releases such as 'Brahmastra', 'Laal Singh Chaddha' and 'Raksha Bandhan' and how streaming had impacted the sensibilities of the audience, Pankaj said that he isn't an expert on the matter, but gave his opinion, nevertheless.
"I don't have much of an idea about the industry, but I can tell you about myself. My taste in cinema is very different. I watch films like 'Tithi' and 'Court', I don't consume much mainstream Hindi content," he said.
He continued, "During the pandemic, people were exposed to stories from around the world on streaming platforms. Their tastes changed and they began asking, 'What are you showing us?' There weren't a lot of options before, both in terms of what was being made and what was being released. Small films wouldn't get any room in theatres. But now, even if they don't, they can be found online."
About the rise of the South Indian language industries, he said, "It was saying how only a few South Indian films have been hits, the rest of flopped. But I'm worried about the kind of content that is being made in mainstream Hindi cinema."