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Prakash Raj Praises South Cinema for Strong, Issue-Based Storytelling
Actor Prakash Raj has made a major statement about Bollywood, saying that Hindi cinema has strayed from its roots. At the Kerala Literature Festival, he described Bollywood as artificial, money-driven, and devoid of meaningful stories. He praised Malayalam and Tamil cinema as superior. According to Prakash Raj, Bollywood's focus on multiplexes and Page 3 culture has disconnected it from rural audiences.
Veteran actor Prakash Raj, who has worked in lead roles in several Hindi movies like Singham, Dabangg 2, and Wanted, has made a big statement about Bollywood. The statement by actor Prakash Raj has again made news, following Rahman’s controversial statement.
This has raised several questions regarding Bollywood culture. The actor claims that mainstream Bollywood cinema has lost its way by going against its core values. At the ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF), the National Award winner lashed out at Hindi cinema by stating how artificial it had become in pursuit of money instead of good stories.
Prakash Raj is an actor who has worked in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi cinema. However, Prakash Raj is of the view that Tamil and Malayalam cinema surpass the standards of Hindi cinema.
Speaking during the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode on Saturday, Prakash Raj said, "Today, I feel that Malayalam and Tamil cinema are making very strong films. On the other hand, Hindi cinema has lost its roots. Everything looks very beautiful and shiny, but feels plastic, like Madame Tussauds wax figures. We still have stories in the South. New young Tamil directors are making films on Dalit issues, and this gives a lot of hope."
He further said, "With the advent of multiplexes, the Mumbai film industry has started making films only for multiplexes." According to Prakash, this shift has pushed filmmakers toward what he calls a Page 3 culture, gradually alienating Hindi cinema from large parts of the country. He said it has lost touch with rural Rajasthan and Bihar. "Today's focus is more on reels, Page 3 coverage, and self-promotion. All of this has led to a disconnect with the industry," he said.
