Mumbai: Actor and filmmaker Tisca Chopra has offered a candid critique of the Hindi film industry, arguing that Bollywood’s reluctance to take creative risks and its neglect of strong writing are key reasons why many films are failing to connect with audiences. The 52-year-old actor, known for her powerful performances and outspoken views, said the industry continues to rely on repetitive formulas instead of nurturing original ideas and writers.
Speaking in a recent interview, Tisca stressed that the foundation of meaningful cinema lies in good writing, a factor she believes is being consistently overlooked. According to her, filmmakers often focus on superficial elements rather than investing time and resources in developing strong scripts.
‘We are watering the fruits, not the roots’
In a conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Tisca did not mince her words while explaining what she feels is going wrong. “The problem is that we are watering the fruits and not the roots, which is writing. The work has become extremely shallow,” she said.
She clarified that she is not against commercial or comedy cinema, but emphasised that even such genres require solid writing to succeed. “I’m not saying one can’t do commercial or comedy cinema, but it starts with the writing. You need to give time to your writers and freedom to brainstorm ideas. We don’t nourish writers,” she added.
Tisca pointed out that the lack of depth in storytelling is increasingly evident to audiences, who are no longer willing to accept half-baked narratives packaged with glamour and star power alone.
Fear of failure stifling creativity
According to the actor, fear plays a major role in the creative stagnation seen in mainstream Hindi cinema. She believes that producers and studios are hesitant to back unconventional ideas, preferring to repeat tried-and-tested formulas with minor variations.
“We’re very afraid. Nobody wants to take a chance. We keep doing the same thing with a little twist. The audience isn’t entertaining it anymore,” Tisca said. She added that viewers today are far more discerning and are quick to reject content that feels recycled or insincere.
However, she also expressed optimism, noting that audiences respond positively when filmmakers present something new with conviction. “Whenever you bring something new with conviction, people accept it,” she said, citing the success of several content-driven films and web series in recent years as proof.
From actor to director
Tisca Chopra, best remembered by many for her sensitive portrayal of a mother in Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par (2007), has steadily expanded her creative horizons over the years. In December 2025, she made her directorial debut with Saali Mohabbat, which premiered on Zee5.
The film was co-written by Tisca and her husband, author and filmmaker Sanjay Chopra. Talking about the writing process, she candidly admitted that it was far from smooth. In an interaction with Mid-Day, she joked about the creative clashes the couple faced while developing the script.
“We almost got divorced writing it. So the yin and yang came together nicely in the script,” she said with a laugh. She also revealed that the project faced resistance early on. “We were told in the beginning [to drop it], but we still went ahead and recorded it. Then we had to dub it to something else. I am not a big fan of censorship,” she added.
The challenges of direction
Opening up about her experience as a first-time director, Tisca described the role as far more demanding than she had imagined. “Directing is a mother-of-god hard job. It just never ends,” she said, explaining that the job involves making countless decisions every single day.
“You start your day with a volley of questions. What should be the size of the car’s number plate? Should the actor shave his chest or not? If you don’t answer, they’ll think you don’t know your mind,” she said. According to her, a director must take responsibility for every choice on set, even if it later turns out to be wrong. “So you just have to make a decision, even if it’s wrong. And then you make the right decision,” she added.
A call for better storytelling
Through her comments, Tisca has reignited an ongoing debate within the film industry about the importance of storytelling and originality. Her remarks echo the sentiments of many filmmakers and actors who believe that Bollywood needs to move beyond formula-driven cinema to stay relevant, especially at a time when audiences have access to diverse global content through streaming platforms.
Saali Mohabbat, which stars Radhika Apte, Anurag Kashyap, Divyendu Sharma, Sauraseni Maitra and Anshumaan Pushkar, is an example of Tisca’s attempt to tell a story outside the conventional mainstream mould. While reactions to the film have been mixed, her willingness to experiment has been noted.
Conclusion
Tisca Chopra’s observations highlight a crucial challenge facing Bollywood today: the need to invest in writing and embrace creative risks. As audience tastes evolve and competition from global content intensifies, her call to “nourish writers” and trust original ideas may prove essential for the industry’s long-term survival and artistic growth.