Anubhav Sinha Says Bollywood Fans Shouldn't Focus On Box Office Collections As They Are False

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha thinks that today, the audience focuses more on a film’s box office collection rather than whether they actually liked it or not. He said that a film’s numbers are not the audience’s business. Anubhav mentioned that these numbers are often fudged, and as such, the focus should be on the film’s story and the cast’s performances.

Anubhav Sinha said, as quoted by the Hindustan Times, “The numbers are about what budget films are made on and the business they do. Dono ankdey jhoote hain! In the industry, we don’t talk about it as it is too convoluted, but a lot of it isn’t true.”

He mentioned, “Honestly, that is not the audience’s business; it should be whether they liked the movie or not. Do we ask a biscuit company about their

ROI (return on investment) before consuming it?”

The filmmaker added, “People may say a film is bad, but the one who saw it may have liked it! We are discussing too much, and people talk and enjoy discussing failures. As humans, we like celebrating ruins and talking about them… Logon ke ghar bik jaate hain. Today, people call Ra.One (2011) a cult film, but it did not do well. After that, I had a very tough three or four years with no work.”

“Aisa nahin hai ki audience theatre nahin ja rahi hai. The audience is willing to go to theatres, but they’re particular about what they choose to watch. If they feel a film is worth spending money and time on, they do watch it… Most makers are immigrants in Mumbai, uprooted from our hometowns. So, we aren’t witnessing the changes happening elsewhere in the country,” Anubhav mentioned.

Who Is Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha?

From romantic dramas to political thrillers, director Anubhav Sinha has carved a unique place in the Indian film industry. With a career spanning over two decades, Sinha has evolved from directing mainstream Bollywood entertainers to crafting hard-hitting, socially conscious cinema.

He began his career in Mumbai in the early 1990s, initially directing television serials like Sea Hawks and Shikast. However, it was his 2001 debut feature film, Tum Bin, that brought him into the limelight. The film, a sleeper hit, still enjoys cult status among romantic drama fans.

Sinha went on to direct high-octane action films like Dus (2005) and Cash (2007), followed by the big-budget sci-fi film Ra.One (2011), starring Shah Rukh Khan. While Ra.One had a mixed critical response, it showcased Sinha’s ambition to break technical barriers in Indian cinema.

In 2012, he founded his production house, Benaras Media Works, which marked a turning point in his career. Shifting focus, Sinha began exploring themes of social justice, communal harmony, and human rights, leading to a new era in his filmmaking.

His 2018 courtroom drama Mulk, starring Rishi Kapoor and Taapsee Pannu, tackled Islamophobia and earned critical acclaim. He followed this with Article 15 (2019), inspired by real-life caste-based violence, and Thappad (2020), which challenged societal norms around domestic abuse and gender roles. More recently, films like Anek (2022) and Bheed (2023) have continued this trajectory, cementing Sinha’s reputation as one of Bollywood’s most fearless voices in socio-political storytelling.