New Delhi [India], February 12 : Filmmaker Kunal Kohli, known for romantic comedies or like 'Hum Tum' and 'Fanaa' says that the Indian film industry remain hesitant about such rom-coms and are still inclined towards action genre films for success.
He criticised filmmakers for prioritising action films, even when they lack expertise in the genre.
Kohli who garnered fame in the rom-com film 'Hum Tum' in 2004 has returned to the genre with his latest directorial venture 'Bobby Aur Rishi Ki Love Story'. It stars debutant Kaveri Kapur (Shekhar Kapur's daughter) and actor Vardhan Puri (Amrish Puri's grandson) in the lead roles.
"Even back then (Hum Tum in 2004), the industry didn't believe in rom-coms, and even today, they don't. Hum Tum was one of the few films in this genre at the time, followed by a handful of others, like Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met," he says.
"So, industry per se didn't believe in rom-coms. The audience loves rom-coms. They love romantic films. Audience ko romance cahiye film cahiye ( audience needs romance in films). Our film industry and heroes want to make action films only. Whether they are good at it or not, whether they recover the budget or not, the heroes and film industry in India always want to make action films"
Kunal advocated for experimenting with other genres in Bollywood.
"I am not saying that you don't make action films. But try every genre. Experiment with every genre. The rom-com is one genre which involves everyone. You have music, family, youth, adults, and everybody in the rom-com space. Eveybody wants their heart to feel 'Kuch Kuch hota hah'. This genre is for all ages it's very wrong to think that it is only for the youth. We all want to feel young at heart."
'Bobby Aur Rishi Ki Love Story' is currently streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar. The grandson of Amrish Puri, Vardhan Puri will also be seen in the film.
Speaking about his character, Vardhaan in a press note said, "Rishi is a boy full of masti, a boy with a beating heart, a boy with a fantastic sense of humour. He is hilarious and sensitive in equal measure, and he's someone who's going to make you smile, laugh, and cry. I really wish I had a best friend like Rishi."
The movie also marks the debut of Shekhar Kapur's daughter, Kaveri Kapur. She will be next seen in Masoom's sequel. It is directed by Shekhar Kapur