Nikkhil Advani discusses why audience connection now matters beyond traditional star power.
Bhuvan Bam’s popularity is cited as an example of changing viewership.
The filmmaker questions how box office success began shaping artistic appreciation.
Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani has spent more than two decades working with leading actors, but he believes established star power is no longer the only factor that draws audiences. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Advani discusses the changing relationship between actors and viewers, his upcoming series The Revolutionaries, and the growing influence of commerce on cinema.
Nikkhil Advani on star power and audience connection
According to Advani, audiences today respond strongly to a sense of personal connection with performers. Bhuvan Bam, who plays Rash Behari Bose in The Revolutionaries, was cited as an example of this shift.
“I don’t think it’s only about star power. I think it’s about connection,” Advani said. He explained that Bam’s journey feels personal to his followers, adding, “The biggest thing about Bhuvan Bam is that everybody feels that his success is personal. His success is their success. I think that it is a powerful motivator for people to embrace and celebrate what they are choosing to watch.”
Sairat was also cited as an example of a film that connected with audiences despite its relatively unknown leads. “Both of them were new kids. There was no such thing as star power in that. But the film reached the masses as they connected,” he said.
Nikkhil Advani questions business-driven filmmaking
Advani also reflected on how audience behaviour and film marketing have changed. He said viewers increasingly want to discover films themselves rather than being told what to think about them.
Speaking about the industry's commercial focus, he recalled Subhash Ghai's observation: "I think what Subhash Ghai said, I was reading somewhere, he said that filmmaking has become like the share market. When did it become that?"
Advani also asked when artistic appreciation became so closely tied to commercial performance. "When did the appreciation of a great piece of music by A R Rahman in a film called Taal become about… how did that change? How did it become a business?" he asked, adding, "It's supposed to be art.”
The Revolutionaries is Advani's web series featuring a younger generation of actors and performers. It is currently streaming on Prime Video.
