Exclusive | Shilpa Shetty: Filmmakers are not willing to take risks anymore

Shilpa Shetty talks about the transformation in filmmaking economics due to OTT platforms, shares why she is aiming for a theatrical release

At a time when the Hindi film industry is grappling with changing audience preferences and the growing influence of OTT platforms, actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra believes the economics of filmmaking have undergone a significant transformation.

The actor asserts that the industry’s evolving landscape has forced both filmmakers and actors to reassess their choices. “The industry is going through a little bit of a lull also because they’d rather not take the onus or the risk, and just do OTT. I don’t blame them. The whole mathematics of making a film, the costing, all of that, has changed,” she says.

Having spent more than three decades in the industry while successfully balancing films, television, and entrepreneurship, Shetty says she is now more focused on projects that justify her presence on screen. “I don’t want to compromise too much on what I want to do because I’ve been there, done that for a very long time. I want to justify it when I’m seen on screen,” shares the actor, adding that her children haven’t seen her work on the big screen, something she hopes to change with a theatrical release.

“My children haven’t seen me in a theatre. That’s why I want to do a film that gets a theatrical release,” she says. “My son watched Sukhee in 2023, but it was in a preview theatre. I hope I get something that’s like the films we used to make earlier,” Shilpa adds.

Elaborating on her choices, she says, “I’ve had to hedge my bets and decide what’s important for me. Sukhee released at a time when we didn’t get enough theatres. It was such a disservice to the movie. But OTT is a great platform because people can discover a film at their own time. Now I’m aiming for a film with a theatrical release, so my kids can watch me on screen.”

Shilpa, who has now donned the hat of a host for cooking reality show Maa Hai Na, says, “This year a lot is happening work-wise. While I’m aiming for a theatrical release, the length of the role has never been the criteria for me. There have been instances where I’ve said no, and my reasons were totally justified — they were mine. There are some very big films I’ve said no to, but that’s between me and the producer. Why should I speak about it? I never ever regret my decisions.”