Vishal Bhardwaj says, ‘Good films are getting beaten’ after ‘O’ Romeo’ underperforms at box office |

Vishal Bhardwaj, an acclaimed filmmaker, expresses his concern over the hurdles faced by quality cinema today. With the rise of OTT platforms and compressed release schedules, he argues that securing funding for poignant, meaningful films has become increasingly challenging, pushing heartfelt storytelling to the sidelines in this tough global landscape.

Vishal Bhardwaj recently expressed that good cinema is going through a deep struggle. The filmmaker shared his thoughts amidst his recent release, ‘O’ Romeo’, receiving a lukewarm response at the box office. He also shared that raising funds for films like ‘Udaan’ and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ was easier than in the current times.

Vishal Bhardwaj on OTT vs theatre debate

In an interview with PTI, Vishal Bhardwaj said, “Now you won’t be able to raise money for them. Now there is a straight demarcation: ‘This is the subject; take it to OTT,’ and OTT people say, ‘No, we don’t want it; release it in theaters first, then we will take it here.’ Good films are getting beaten in the process.”

The filmmaker expressed that there is a need for a “revolutionary step” to resolve this issue. However, Bhardwaj also added that he doesn’t know when that will happen. Explaining the current situation of the industry across the world, he said, “We are in a very strange and difficult phase of filmmaking. I think it’s global… The films to be made for theaters have taken a totally new turn.”

Vishal Bhardwaj’s take on OTT debuts after theatrical release

The movie is allowed to arrive on streaming platforms after it completes eight weeks in theaters. Talking about the same, Vishal Bhardwaj said, “If you want to make films for theaters, you have to look at yourself from a new perspective. By doing all that, how do you still keep yourself alive in that film? It’s a challenge. In between, OTT platforms were making originals, but that’s also now less… Good cinema is going through a deep struggle, which is always the case anyway.“The filmmaker said that to lure the audience to the theaters instead of them waiting for the film’s arrival on OTT, the makers have “to do all kinds of things.” He said, “What is happening is, the ones who are getting defeated are the cinema of the heart, cinema of the sensibilities.”The filmmaker said the advent of OTT, rising ticket prices, the shortening gap between the theatrical window and the films’ arrival, and other such factors have led to the dip in theatrical business.

More about ‘O’ Romeo’

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film featured Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri in the lead roles. It failed to pull the audience to the theaters. The movie was released in theaters on February 13, 2026.