the director Suresh Triveni he said that Hindi film producers and studios need to trust their instincts again, instead of just chasing data. The filmmaker who has recently released ‘Subedaar’ Anil Kapoor On Prime Video and now it is continuing with ‘Maa Behen’ in the lead role Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri on Netflix, the industry’s post-pandemic struggles, the weak mid-budget film lineup and why risky choices like ‘Saiyaara’ can still work.
Suresh Triveni on Hindi cinema and risky choices
In an exclusive interview with Variety India, Triveni said that the industry has become too cautious in trying to understand what the audience wants. “Gut feeling decisions have to go back to the field. I think we’re a gut industry. I feel like we’ve become very data-driven and calculating.”He said it falls into the same pattern. “And that’s where I’m at. I think even when we approach a subject, we think a lot about whether it’s going to work or not. We need more individual producers. And existing studios should take gut-based hits, not just examples.Triveni cited Mohit Suri’s ‘Saiyaara’ as an example. The 2025 film was directed by the two newcomers, made on a budget of less than INR 50 crores and grossed around INR 350 crores. “No one gave him a chance (‘Saiyaara’), and he looked at the business. I think that needs to happen more,” he said.
Suresh Triveni demands fiscal holidays and accolades Malayalam cinema
Triveni also said that the government should support the film industry as it has become more expensive to go to the cinema. He said that the tax holiday should be extended, even for six months, to get people back to the theaters.“I could do ‘Tumhari Sulu’ because studios can take risks,” he said. He added, “For a film, you’re risking Rs 2,000 and then you feel bad. That’s one of the worst decisions for anyone, considering there are more entertainment options available.”Triveni, who grew up in Ranchi and hails from a south Indian family, also praised Malayalam cinema. “I know people watched a lot of Malayalam films post-Covid, but I grew up watching them,” he said. He called Sreenivasan, Sibi Malayil and Priyadarshan “awesome filmmakers”.He said that Malayalam filmmakers have a “glocal” understanding of storytelling and once revealed that he was planning to remake Fahadh Faasil’s “Thondimuthalum Drisakshiyum” but “didn’t want to go in that direction”. He also praised ‘Eko’, ‘The Patriot’, Mammootty ‘Bramayugam’ and Mohanlal.
