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The actor is gearing up for the release of Jugnuma, directed by Raam Reddy. The film has earned acclaim worldwide as The Fable and is finally getting a release in Indian theatres this month. Ahead of the release, the National Award winner sits down with Hindustan Times to talk about the state of independent films in the country and the newfound obsession with the box office.

On the box office monster

Over the last few years, box office numbers have turned into promotional tools to leverage buzz for films. Talking about the phenomenon, Manoj says, “It’s a monster that is created by the producers themselves, the commercial producers, for their own game. Very soon, this monster is going to eat you up. You have created Bhasmasura. Just wait for the day you are going to put your hand on your own head, and you will be ruined. This has been created by our own successful people, and one day it will eat them up.”

OTT’s change of stance

Equating box office success with quality has particularly hurt smaller, independent films, as their low collections are now considered a sign of bad quality. Manoj argues, “The small, independent films always experience struggle. Then came a very brief time when OTT had just entered the country, and they were welcoming. But very soon, they changed their stance, and all of them started focusing on mainstream subjects and faces. One feels sad, because I am of the opinion that if you finish independent movement, your cinema will become just a product and nothing more. If the art is taken out, it has no value.”

He gives the example of Amitabh Bachchan, a rare superstar who also did smaller films during the peak of his stardom. “Mr Bachchan has also done a few fabulous (small) films like Abhimaan and Mili. He has done many more. Only Don, after a point, will be boring. He is Mr Bachchan also because of the kind of films he has done earlier in his career,” says the actor.

The struggles of indie films

He mentions OTT platforms, the streaming giants that occupy a large chunk of India’s entertainment space now, and laments that even they have given in to commercial compulsions now. “Everyone who is more interested in making commercial films or buying commercial films knows it’s a gamble. It does not pay off that often. The producers and OTT platforms are more interested in putting their money into that film because the gain is huge. Agar ye tukka lag gaya toh bahut paisa aayega. But mostly lagta nahi hai, kuch hi lucky hote hain jinka lagta hai (If this gamble works, one can earn a lot of money, but it doesn’t happen mostly. It only works for a lucky few.) They are fine with it. But, we are also fine with our own struggles,” says Manoj.

Jugnuma, directed by Raam Reddy, also stars Priyanka Bose, Deepak Dobriyal, and Tillotama Shome. It is releasing in theatres on September 12.