Kunal Kohli blamed producers spending crores on foolish promotions and corporate bookings with influencers for the failures of their films. He advised young stars to discuss their films and roles in promotions instead of dancing with influencers.
Kunal Kohli may not be giving hits like he did in the mid-2000s, but he admits that he would never support the recent phenomenon of fake bookings in cinema halls. The filmmaker feels that instead of accepting their failures, filmmakers are in denial. That is why they are filling up theatres to make their film a hit.
Kunal said, “Nobody is going to the theatres, but you have signed a deal with satellite and digital that if you earn so many crores in theatres you will get this much. To save this you are buying tickets in the theatre. The audience goes there and finds that there is no one. I go to the theatre at 10 am on Friday for every big or good film because I don’t want to read reviews. The reviews are also bad because half of them are paid or they don’t understand cinema. Now anybody is a critic. So when I go to the theatre, I hardly see 10 people. But when I went to watch Munjya, I was impressed that the theatre was 60% full.
There was no promotion in that film. People judged the film on the basis of its posters and trailer. I have nothing to do with Munjya, so why would I say that the theatre was 60% full? The audience can smell the smell of the film. So you don’t need to waste money on silly promotions. You don’t need to buy tickets.”
“The film didn’t work? Accept it! I accept that Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (2008) didn’t work, Break Ke Baad (2010) didn’t work. If made well, the film could have worked. But it didn’t. Never mind, learn from your mistakes. I learnt that I shouldn’t have become an actor. I could have made excuses that my work was very good. Did anyone offer you any roles after that, Kunal Kohli? Just, you weren’t good in the film. Simple,” Kunal said in a podcast on YouTube channel India Now and How.
Kunal made his directorial debut with the 2002 romantic comedy Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, which flopped at the box office. He then delivered two hits in Hum Tum (2004) and Fanaa (2006). His next two directorial ventures – Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic and Teri Meri Kahaani (2012) – also failed at the box office. Break Ke Baad was produced by him and directed by Danish Aslam. He made his acting debut in 2018 opposite Jennifer Winget in his directorial venture Phir Se…, which failed at the box office.
Kunal argued that it is not just corporate bookings but also the dependence on influencers for promotions that is harming the film industry. He said playing ‘truth and dare’ or making dance reels with influencers only helps them create content. Under the guise of promotions, producers are spending at least Rs 15-20 lakh on hair, makeup and costumes in each segment. “Then they think why did my film not get an opening? Because you are not behaving like a star. Being a star does not mean that you force the producer to spend a lot of money. Being a star means having a personality,” Kunal said.
He said that stars are the real ‘influencers’. Kunal said that social media influencers with a following can be paid very well. “Tell all these influential people, will you ask Ajay Devgn to put up a placard (as part of a game during promotions). They don’t have the guts to ask Ajay Devgn. Now, this is star power,” Kunal said. He advised the young stars to talk about their films and roles instead of playing games during promotions.
“Don’t say you were shooting and you had a cold. What do I care about that? The audience who are watching you are also working hard. The light men, spotboys and carpenters work the hardest on the sets,” Kunal said.
