Prakash Raj compares Hindi cinema to 'Madame Tussauds museum', says it has lost its roots

Kozhikode: Unlike Malayalam and Tamil cinema, which he hailed for their strong, content-driven storytelling, actor Prakash Raj said mainstream Hindi cinema has lost its roots, becoming increasingly “fake” and “money-oriented".

Speaking at the ongoing ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) on Saturday, the award-winning actor criticised Hindi films for their artificiality, saying they have become like a “Madame Tussauds museum” where everything seems beautiful with no substance.

“In the present context, I feel Malayalam and Tamil cinema are making very strong films... Hindi cinema, on the other hand, has lost its roots. Everything looks beautiful, wonderful, like plastic, as you see in the Madame Tussauds museum.

"We (the South) still have stories to tell, the new young directors of Tamil are talking about Dalit issues. And that gives so much of hope," said Raj, renowned for his work across Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema, in a session titled “The Artist I Became".

The 60-year-old filmmaker-actor further analysed what ails Hindi cinema, tracing its decline to the post-multiplex era, when it began catering primarily to urban audiences.

Raj, known for his performances in hit films such as "Singham" and "Wanted", argued that the industry’s focus on glamour and surface-level aesthetics has weakened its emotional connection with viewers.

"After multiplexes, the Bombay film industry started making films only for multiplexes. Very cute films and things like that. Because they were running well. They went into that Page 3 culture, and with that lost the touch with rural Rajasthan and Bihar," he explained.

This shift, he argued, also led to the decline of the nation-building narratives that once defined post-independence Hindi cinema.

To buttress his point, Raj cited the 1977 blockbuster "Amar Akbar Anthony", and its famous scene of three men from different religions donating blood to save one person, reflecting shared values, social harmony and collective aspirations.

"Now, it’s not like that anymore. Today, it’s all about money and appearances -- reels, page 3 coverage, and loud self-promotion. In the process, I feel the industry has lost its connection with the audience,” he concluded.

The four-day literary extravaganza is hosting over 400 speakers, including Nobel Laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah and Abhijit Banerjee, astronaut Sunita Williams, author Kiran Desai, essayist Pico Iyer, Jnanpith winner Pratibha Ray, sports icons Rohan Bopanna and Ben Johnson, and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.

KLF 2026, now in its ninth edition, will come to a close on January 25.