‘When husband hits you, TRPs will increase’: Amruta Subhash recalls ‘disgusting’ comment by TV producer, was told, ‘This isn’t Prithvi theatre’

Actor Ratna Pathak Shah expressed relief about the influx of talented writers and directors in the streaming space, but said that mainstream theatrical films still look down upon their audience, and insist on spoon-feeding them. She said that as a culture, Indians are accustomed to thinking that ‘papa knows best’, and that same mentality translates into our cinema.

At a roundtable discussion organised by Zoom Entertainment, her co-panelist, Amruta Subhash, spoke highly about action films, and said that they are very difficult to execute because there’s so much that could go wrong. Ratna wasn’t as forgiving. She said, “I think it’s a trend that has been foisted upon us, and has been encouraged, over many, many decades. And it’s not something that’ll go away. It’ll reinvent itself in different ways. There is a large audience that is keen on seeing that. They sublimate what they are seeing in their lives through characters of this type, and until our society changes, I don’t think these kind of films changing. They’ll keep coming back.”

Ratna compared the hyper-masculine action genre to a ‘Hydra’, and said that India has many different levels of ‘civilisation’ co-existing simultaneously. “From pre-historic stone age to post modern, post-tech, all these stages exist in our society, and they’re pulling in all kinds of directions. I would hate to be a young man in India today. One, because of how they’re being brought up, and two, having to deal with situations that nothing can prepare them for…”

Amruta said that she was once made to shoot a domestic abuse scene against her wish and without warning when she was working in television, and that the producer told her, “This isn’t experimental theatre you’re doing babe, when he hits you, the TRP will be highest.” She said that she was ‘disgusted’ by the comment, and felt so defeated by the experience.

Earlier this year, Ratna’s husband, Naseeruddin Shah, also offered his two cents on the rise of hyper-masculine cinema this year. “I tried to watch RRR, but I couldn’t. I tried to watch Pushpa, but I couldn’t. Although I did watch a Mani Ratnam film, completely, because he is a very capable filmmaker and does not have an agenda. And I can’t imagine besides the thrill or feeding the emotions hidden inside you. There is a sense of happiness that often lingers for several days after watching. I can’t imagine. Main aisi films dekhne kabhi na jaaun,” he said in an interview with We Are Yuva.

Some of the biggest films this year – Animal, Leo, Gadar 2, Salaar – belong to this sub-genre of action films, and feature violent male saviour figures at the centre.