During the Koshala Literature Festival in Lucknow, filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia didn’t mince words about the current state of action-driven blockbusters. In his session, The Tigmanshu Effect, he criticised the dominance of hyper-masculine anti-heroes and the relentless bloodshed that defines many recent hits. “The problem with today’s films, which are being made in abundance and are being loved by the audience, is with the angry characters! These ‘KGFs’, ‘Kantaras’ and all show too much violence and bloodshed. This ‘maar-kaat’ started with ‘Baahubali’ (2015) and is just growing,” he remarked.
Dhulia expressed disbelief that audiences continue to embrace such spectacles, calling out the “demon-like looks” of heroes and questioning their box office success. He added, “‘Bematlab maar-kaat rahe hain, khoon baha rahe hain!’ And, in a series, such films are coming and are being liked by the audience. Personally, I don’t like it at all.” His critique framed these films not as artistic triumphs but as a troubling trend that has reshaped mainstream storytelling.
