Tisca Chopra Says ‘Bollywood Is Afraid,’ Slams Industry For Making ‘The Same Films’

With Dhurandhar continuing its rampage at the box office, the film has emerged as one of the most talked-about releases in recent times. While opinions remain divided over its politics, there is near-universal

agreement on one aspect — the film is technically and creatively well-made. Its extraordinary commercial success has once again reignited the long-standing debate about why certain films manage to rake in crores while others fail to find an audience.

As conversations around originality, conviction and storytelling dominate industry circles, actor Tisca Chopra weighed in on what she sees as Bollywood’s growing fear of taking creative risks. Without directly naming Dhurandhar, Tisca spoke candidly about the industry’s reluctance to back fresh ideas.

‘We Are Watering the Fruits, Not the Roots’

In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Tisca pointed to weak writing as the core issue plaguing Hindi cinema today. “The problem is that we are watering the fruits and not the roots, which is writing. The work has become extremely shallow. I am not saying one can’t do commercial or comedy cinema, but it starts from the writing. You need to give time to your writers and freedom to brainstorm ideas. We don’t nourish writers,” she said.

She further criticised the industry’s tendency to play safe, adding, “We are very afraid. Nobody wants to take a chance. We keep doing the same thing with a little twist. The audience is not entertaining it anymore. Whenever you bring something new with conviction, people accept it.”

Tisca’s remarks have struck a chord at a time when audiences are increasingly rejecting formula-driven films, even as content-led projects continue to surprise at the box office.

Industry Voices Praise Dhurandhar

Echoing similar sentiments, several prominent actors and filmmakers have publicly praised Dhurandhar and its director Aditya Dhar for their craft and conviction. Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra took to X to applaud the film’s immersive storytelling.

“By the way, Dhurandhar is a well-made film. Aditya Dhar is extremely skilled. The acting is terrific. The most difficult thing in filmmaking is a director’s ability to make the audience smell the place—and Aditya Dhar, with the help of his brilliant cinematographer and production designer, manages to do just that. The casting, including the minor parts, is bang on. I am, of course, a filmmaker from another school,” Mishra wrote.

Hrithik Roshan also shared a thoughtful response, acknowledging both his admiration and ideological disagreements. “I love cinema. I love people who climb into a vortex and let the story take control—spin them, shake them—until what they want to say is purged out onto the screen. Dhurandhar is an example of that. I loved the storytelling. It’s cinema. I may disagree with the politics of it and argue about the responsibilities we filmmakers should bear as citizens of the world. Nevertheless, I can’t ignore how much I loved and learnt from this one as a student of cinema. Amazing,” he wrote.

Dhurandhar has gone on to collect over Rs 1140 crore at the global box office, firmly cementing its place as one of the biggest successes in recent Hindi cinema and reigniting calls for bolder, writer-driven storytelling in Bollywood.