Filmmaker
Neeraj Ghaywan, best known for his socially rooted storytelling, has once again spoken candidly about representation in Hindi cinema and the questions he faces for consistently centring Dalit lives in his work. At Zoom’s Best Performances Directors 2025 panel, the Homebound director delivered a powerful critique of the industry’s narrow narrative lens, calling out how mainstream Hindi films largely reflect the lives of a privileged minority while sidelining vast sections of the country. His remarks have struck a chord for their honesty and urgency, reigniting conversations around caste, class, and whose stories are deemed worthy of being told on the big screen.
Neeraj Ghaywan says only upper caste narratives make it to the movies
Speaking at the panel,
Ghaywan pointed out how disproportionate representation has become the norm in Indian cinema. He said, “The films that we make, we only make it about the 15% of the population of India. We do not make films about the rest of the 75%. It’s always upper caste narratives made and created by upper caste narratives. Then you are ignoring 75% of the population, it is always left in the lurch.”The director further explained that this imbalance is not just about caste, but also about geography and lived realities. He added, “It could also mean that you are only talking about urban population. Or small town where you make fun of the English, you make fun of the look, but 60 to 70% of economy is agrarian and they are in villages. Why aren’t we talking about villages? Why aren’t we presenting them? It’s such a lopsided view because that monopolised 15% is the one that is creating and hence their own stories are being made.”
Neeraj Ghaywan reveals being questioned for exploring Dalit stories
Ghaywan also addressed the criticism he personally faces for repeatedly exploring Dalit narratives in his films. Sharing the kind of questions thrown at him, he said, “So, then people are questioning me that ‘arre har film mein tu kya Dalit Dalit nikaalta rehta hai yaar, kya nikaalta rehta hai’, but the thing is that I am making films for 25%. You are making entirely about the 15%. All of Hindi cinema is about the 15%.”Clarifying that his intent is not activism but honest storytelling, the filmmaker stressed that his choices come from a lack of alternatives within the industry. “And sometimes people mean it well also because fundamentally I am a filmmaker. I am not an activist. I don’t want to be an intelligent filmmaker all the time. But the thing is that nobody else is making - what do I do?” he said.He concluded by highlighting the erasure of large communities from mainstream cinema, stating, “You know, it’s like an entire 25% population has been erased from all of Hindi cinema. All of it.”Watch full interview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al8zwxBOAkw&t=35s
y continuing to tell stories that challenge dominant narratives, the
Homebound director remains one of the few voices insisting that Hindi cinema widen its gaze, and acknowledge the lives it has long chosen to ignore.
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