Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Nov 15: Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has said the Hindi film industry is going through a phase of introspection, with the success of 'Dhurandhar' showing that conventional filmmaking formulas no longer guarantee box office success.

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Summit, Ali discussed the changing trends in Bollywood and cited 'Dhurandhar' as an example of a film that challenged established industry expectations.

Ali, whose latest film 'Main Vaapas Aaunga' emerged as a surprise box office hit, said filmmakers were currently uncertain about what would appeal to audiences. He pointed out that while there were concerns about declining audience attention spans, several successful films were running for around three hours.

He observed that 'Dhurandhar' was now being cited as a successful example despite its lengthy runtime, highlighting the changing expectations of viewers.

The filmmaker said the project was initially considered an impractical venture by several studios, with little likelihood of succeeding. However, the film went on to break conventional rules, prompting others in the industry to reconsider their approach.

Ali said the industry was now in a phase of introspection, with filmmakers trying to understand what works with audiences. He added that filmmaking styles and storytelling approaches might change in the coming years.

Written and directed by Aditya Dhar, 'Dhurandhar' is a spy thriller featuring Ranveer Singh as an Indian agent who infiltrates criminal gangs and terror networks in Pakistan. The film also stars R Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun.

While the first instalment received strong reviews, the second received a more mixed response. Nevertheless, both films have emerged as the two highest-grossing Hindi films in India.