Actor Ranvir Shorey says indie films losing ground on both theatres and streaming

Mumbai: It's not a great time for smaller films like "Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa", says the film's star Ranvir Shorey, stressing that independent movies have struggled to find an audience, first in cinemas and now increasingly on streaming platforms as well.

Shorey is one of the most prominent names in the world of indie cinema with credits that include titles like "Khosla Ka Ghosla", "Bheja Fry", "Mixed Doubles" and "Dasvidaniya" He currently plays a pivotal role in indie whodunnit “Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa”, which is written and directed by seasoned actor Rajat Kapoor.

“It's not a great time right now for smaller films like our film. Because earlier the theatrical system was difficult for smaller independent films because of the big films and big star system.

"Then the streaming platforms came, it became some kind of respite for these kinds of films. But now again, we see even on streaming platforms the gatekeeping is becoming similar to how it was in the theatrical system,” Shorey told PTI in an interview.

The 53-year-old actor said that while the success of large-scale spectacles like Aditya Dhar's two-part spy saga "Dhurandhar" may boost the Hindi film industry, he remains unconvinced about their impact on smaller films.

“I really don't see how the success of a film like ‘Dhurandhar’ will help films like ‘Sohrab Handa’ because these films are not about spectacle. They are about characters, about cinematic excellence without the scale, the grandeur and the budget,” Shorey said.

"One hopes that, just as the industry evolved from theatrical to television to streaming, the internet itself will eventually offer solutions for this as well," he added.

"Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa", which currently streams on streaming platform ZEE5, is a mystery thriller about a couple's perfect anniversary party at an old mansion that goes awry when the most hated guest, Sohrab Handa, is found murdered.

Besides Shorey, the movie features Vinay Pathak, Waluscha De Sousa, Saurabh Shukla, Koel Puri, Sadia Siddiqui and Chandrachoor Rai.

The actor expressed gratitude to ZEE5 and production banner Applause Entertainment for supporting small films.

"We need more such productions like from Applause. We need more platforms to do the kind of work Zee5 is doing in giving platforms to smaller films. We need more of this," he added.

Shorey, who earlier collaborated with Kapoor for films such as “Aankhon Dekhi”, “Bheja Fry”, “Dasvidaniya” and many more, said he readily agreed to the project as he was excited to make something new.

“When it's Rajat's film, what you are playing becomes secondary. What's more important is the excitement that he's making something new... (We) shared a journey, not just as friends, but also creatively, it's a great kick to be able to make something new… then the fight begins about who's going to play what, then it's almost like a homely affair, where everybody has this friendly competition. The real excitement is to be making something together again and that's priceless,” he said.

“Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa” is produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Mithya Talkies.