Bhooth Bangla Director Priyadarshan LAUDS Dhurandhar, Animal: Broke Film Experts' Theories | EXCLUSIVE

In the era of Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, capturing the audience’s attention has become increasingly challenging. Many experts blame this shift for declining theatre footfalls and the fading cinema experience. However, some recent films have proven that engaging storytelling still rules the box office, regardless of a film’s length. Filmmaker Priyadarshan recently gave a shout-out to Dhurandhar and Animal while talking about the same. He said these blockbusters are proof that audiences can sit through even four-hour films if the content is compelling. The Bhooth Bangla director also spoke about why watching a movie in cinema halls still matters.Priyadarshan LAUDS Dhurandhar, AnimalIn an exclusive chat with Zoom, he said, "See, there's

no time (limit). There are two films that prove that, and those two films were the biggest hits of Indian cinema - one is Dhurandhar and the other is Animal. They have made people sit for four hours in the theatres, and people are going again to watch it. So all the theories and all the film experts' theories were broken by this."For those unversed, Ranbir Kapoor and Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal had a theatrical runtime of 3 hours and 21 minutes (201 minutes). Meanwhile, Dhurandhar (2025) was 214 minutes long (3 hours and 34 minutes).Theatres Are Here To Stay: PriyadarshanHe continued, "I feel that there is nothing better than watching a movie in a theatre. That feeling, especially in comedy films, when you sit in front of an OTT platform and when you're watching it, you get a smile sometimes; that smile is a big laughter in a theatre. When 10 people around you laugh, you also laugh. So that is a wonderful feeling."The director added that cinema will continue to thrive, as it remains one of the most affordable forms of entertainment for the common man in India. According to him, theatres will always have an audience."I think my success is only because of one thing: why do people come to the theatre? To forget their worries and tension, sit and relax truly, where there's nothing better than humour," said the director known for Hera Pheri, Bhagam Bhag, De Dana Dan, and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-yoxUk-P7I

Priyadarshan's NextThe filmmaker is gearing up for the release of his upcoming horror-comedy, Bhooth Bangla. It marks his reunion with Akshay Kumar after 14 years. Backed by Ektaa Kapoor, the film also stars Wamiqa Gabbi, Tabu, Rajpal Yadav, Asrani, Paresh Rawal, and others in key roles. The film is finally set to hit theatres on April 10 after multiple delays to avert a clash with Dhurandhar: The Revenge.