Unfair to assume intelligent audiences exist only in urban spaces: Anubhav Sinha

Written By: Ancela Jamindar

Anubhav Sinha, known for blending powerful storytelling with sharp social observation, continues to redefine the conversation around contemporary Hindi cinema. Known for hard-hitting films like Assi, Article 15, Mulk, and Thappad, the filmmaker has also been in the news for the campaign Chal Cinema Chalein, a multi-city journey to connect with audiences. Sinha, who was in Ahmedabad recently, shares, “I enjoyed having dhokla, fafda, and thepla for breakfast. While I don’t usually like them, they were delicious this time.” He adds, “Of all my films, Thappad remains very close to my heart. It required me to deeply understand a woman’s emotional world and confront the hidden misogyny embedded in society. It deals with embedded DNA malfunction which people are not even aware of. Even after making this film, I believe the process of recognising and challenging such conditioning continues every day.”

‘Explored more than 40 cities in the last three months’

Talking about Chal Cinema Chalein, Sinha says, “I often felt disconnected from the nation despite living and working within it. For the past 10-15 years, I have been hearing that films are divided by geography, that certain movies are believed to belong only to cities, while others are meant for small towns and villages. This idea did not bode well with me. I felt it was unfair to assume that intelligent audiences exist only in urban spaces or meaningful content gets lost in rural India. Over the last three months, I have travelled to nearly 40-42 cities, exploring local places, eating at street stalls, and interacting with locals, digital creators, journalists, and writers. These experiences have helped me to understand society and people better.”




‘Art is shaped by one’s environment and personal observations’

Asked about what drives him to create socio-political films, he says, “Art is ultimately shaped by one’s environment and personal observations. I think filmmakers react to the risks, realities, and surroundings they live in. Some opinions stay with a person so strongly that they slowly transform into stories, and sometimes into dramatic narratives that become films. I make films on topics that I feel need to be talked about and discussed in society. I rely on documentaries, books, and conversations with experts for authenticity in storytelling.”

Talking about why appreciation from ordinary people matters the most to him, he adds, “Encounters at airports or on the streets, where strangers come forward to say that they liked my film, feel deeply rewarding. While I value critical acclaim and understand the importance of box-office success as a measure of how many people watched a film, true emotional satisfaction comes from the audience, for whom the film was made.”

‘For me, films are created for theatrical viewing’

On the growing presence of OTT platforms, the filmmaker says his creative focus remains on cinema meant for the big screen. “I do not wish to design content specifically for television or streaming. For me, films are created for theatrical viewing, while OTT serves as a secondary space for those who may have missed the big-screen experience,” he shares.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”